GDPR: A global mentality shift towards personal data
by Efi Thoma, Lawyer LL.M. Data is incontestably the new gold! In the new digital era, personal data of individuals is being collected, processed, and transferred around the globe from companies and organizations involved in this process, without the individuals’ prior knowledge and explicit consent. The companies and organizations that collect and use such data, have a competitive advantage and strengthen their market position by analyzing this data. Data may be even sold to third parties worldwide, without neither the prior knowledge of the individuals concerned, nor their “unambiguous” consent. The new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) constitutes a huge breakthrough in privacy laws, leading to a drastic transformation of the privacy landscape on a global scale. It is not just the GDPR large fines in cases of breaches or serious non-compliance that make the difference, it is the new culture of awareness that is being established regarding personal, and namely sensitiv
