MPs approve draft data privacy law in line with GDPR

The lower house of Parliament has approved a new draft law on the protection of privacy. The main aim is to bring Czech legislation fully in line with European legislation, in particular the General Data Protection Regulation, or “GDPR”, which came into effect in May.

At the instigation of MP Jakub Michálek (Pirates), deputies agreed that the Office for the Protection of Personal Data (ÚOOÚ) will become the administrative appeal body for cases where authorities failed to comply with requests under the law on Free Access to Information.

The GDPR is designed to help protect the rights of EU citizens against the abuse of their data. It concerns for example public institutions, businesses and self-employed people who register their employees, members, customers or supporters.

According to new draft law version adopted on Wednesday, it will still be possible to process personal data for certain journalistic, academic, artistic and literary purposes. In concrete terms, journalists will not be required, for example, to ask ask each participant of an event or rally for permission to publish images in which they appear.

Author: Brian Kenety