Data protection
People have the right to know why and how an organisation uses their personal data.
Protecting privacy when personal data is used
The Personal Data Protection Act regulates what may and may not be done with your personal details. For example, you have the right to information on and access to your data. The Data Protection Authority checks whether organisations are obeying the law.
Duty to report loss, theft or abuse of data
Personal data can sometimes be stolen, for example if the network is hacked. Data can also be made public through human or technical error. If this happens, it’s important that it's reported as soon as possible.
This is why the Personal Data Protection Act was amended by the Data Breach Notification Act, with effect from 1 January 2016. If a business or government organisation experiences a serious data breach they must report it to the Data Protection Authority.
Blocking access to your data
In some cases you can block access to your data. For example, if the municipality decides on its own to pass it on to a sports club or charity. You can ask the municipality you live in to block your personal data. This means the municipality will only be able to give your data to authorised organisations with a public or social function.