FRA’s Fundamental Rights Report 2018 reviews major developments in the EU between January and December 2017...

7. Information society, privacy and data protection

For both technological innovation and protection of privacy and personal data, 2017 was an important year. Rapid development of new technologies brought as many opportunities as challenges. As EU Member States and EU institutions finalised their preparatory work for the application of the EU Data Protection package, new challenges arose. Exponential progress in research related to ‘big data’ and artificial intelligence, and their promises in fields as diverse as health, security and business markets, pushed public authorities and civil society to question the real impact these may have on citizens – and especially on their fundamental rights... The EU’s recent reforms in the data protection and cybersecurity fields, as well as its current efforts in relation to e-privacy, proved to be timely and relevant...

In this chapter...

• Big data: EU and international bodies urge respect for fundamental rights amidst push for innovation...

Data protection authorities should ensure that all data controllers [...] guarantee equal awareness of data protection and privacy rights...