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Data Protection Day

Why do we mark Data Protection Day?

On 26 April 2006, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe decided to launch a Data Protection Day, to be celebrated each year on 28 January. This date corresponds to the anniversary of the opening for signature of the Council of Europe’s Convention 108 for the Protection of individuals with regard to automatic processing of personal data which has been for over 30 years a cornerstone of data protection, in Europe and beyond. Data Protection Day is now celebrated globally.

Why is Data Protection important?

Data protection issues, including their cross-border dimension, are highly present in all of our daily lives – at work, in the health field, when we buy goods or services, when travel or surf the internet. However, the society is generally not really familiar with data protection issues and unaware of the existing rights in this respect. The objective of the Data Protection Day is therefore to inform and educate the public at large as to their day-to-day rights, but it may also provide data protection professionals with the opportunity of meeting data subjects.

Who does Data Protection concern?

The aim of the Data Protection Day is to give individuals everywhere the chance to understand what personal data is collected and processed about them and why, and what their rights are with respect to this processing. Individuals generally are seldom aware of what they can do if they consider that their rights have been breached, or of the role of national data protection agencies. 

How is this done in Georgia?

Data protection issues in Georgia are dealt by State Inspector’s Service. It is an independent state authority that, as a legal successor of the Office of the Personal Data Protection Inspector, operates in Georgia since 10 May, 2019.

One of the key functions of the State Inspector’s Service is the oversight of data protection legislation and monitoring lawfulness of data processing in Georgia. For this purpose, the Inspector’s Office conducts its activities in four main directions:

  • Audit (inspection) of the lawfulness of data processing in public and private entities;
  • Handling citizens’ complaints related to data protection;
  • Providing consultations to public and private entities on the issues related to data protection;
  • Informing the public about the state of data protection in Georgia and events related to it.

How is EU supporting Data Protection in Georgia?

As personal data protection is the significant pillar of human rights defense in the state, EU has been actively supporting the institutional development of State Inspector’s Service since 2016 in the framework of Human rights4All; EU has committed to the progress made by the Personal Data Protection Inspector and later State Inspector’s Service through Institutional development and capacity building, trainings and awareness raising activities, developing communication strategy and providing relevant expertise.

Supported by the European Union (EU), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), State Inspector’s Service launched the week-long (22-28 January, 2021) campaign, that engaged state agencies, civil society, schools and citizens and covered a wide array of topics, from processing health-related information and using social media to launching new educational programmes in data protection.  More than 20 Georgian universities signed a memorandum with the SIS to introduce new educational programmes in data protection. Other events included an online conference for students and a photo contest for school children, a live Facebook session by the State Inspector on protecting privacy on social media, and the release of SIS reports on processing health-related information and protecting personal data of children.

Follow campaign activities at: https://www.facebook.com/DPAGeorgiaOfficial 

Learn more here: Safeguarding personal data in pandemic conditions
EU and UNDP help to strengthen Georgian mechanisms to protect the right to privacy