The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has recently marked its fifth anniversary, garnering attention from various sources including tech publication, heise online. To commemorate the occasion, publisher’s legal advisor Joerg Heidrich and editor Holger Bleich delivered a summary of the practical effects of the regulation on their c’t data protection podcast, Interpretationssache.
During the Privacy Ring Conference in Hanover, an audience was treated to a live recording of the podcast which was further enhanced by two expert guests, Frederick Richter and Dr. Astrid Auer-Reinsdorff. The former is a member of the board of directors of the Data Protection Foundation while the latter has been advising companies on IT and data protection law since 2002.
The podcast kicked off with a discussion on the fears surrounding GDPR when it was launched in 2018. Despite no mass warnings being issued, the “one size fits all” approach to data protection resulted in widespread confusion for many small entities such as schools and clubs. Heidrich pointed out the lack of regulations as a contributing factor to the uncertainty surrounding GDPR.
Despite its flaws, Auer-Reinsdorff and the other participants agreed that GDPR helped draw attention towards data protection. The increased awareness of GDPR has ultimately ensured a better level of data protection. This is noted as a positive effect of the regulation.
However, there is still a lack of consensus among supervisory authorities. Even within Germany, different authorities prioritize different aspects of data protection, which breeds inconsistency. Contrarily, The Data Protection Foundation’s board member, Richter, deems it as unavoidable given that different administrative laws and supervisory cultures are being followed.
To conclude, c’t data protection podcast Interpretationssache believes the GDPR anniversary marks a time of reflection regarding what has been achieved thus far and what needs further polishing. Awareness and better data protection are some of the hallmarks of GDPR implementation.
