Overview/Description Target Audience Expected Duration Lesson Objectives Course Number Overview/Description
The legal basis for privacy and data security in the EU is set out in Directive 95/46/EC, known as the Data Protection Directive, which was issued in October of 1995. EU member states were required to enact laws to carry out the Directive. The main purpose of the Directive is two-fold. First it aims to protect individuals' personal data. Second, it seeks to ensure that the securities and protections afforded to individuals do not restrict the ability to process or exchange economically critical data between the member states. While the specific laws for each member state differ, the Directive serves as the primary guidance for all the laws. In other words, member states may have more stringent interpretations of the Directive, but they cannot be less stringent than the requirements outlined in the Directive. There are significant differences across the EU member states in their data protection laws and in the practice of their respective national regulators, as not all aspects of data protection law is harmonized. Therefore when a data protection issue occurs, particularly one which affects several member states, it may be dealt with differently under each national law. This course addresses EU privacy laws at the level of the Directive and provides several examples of the specific approaches taken by certain member states. It also discusses the Safe Harbor Agreement that outlines a framework for adequate security procedures for US companies that exchange personal information with EU member states. This course was developed with subject matter support provided by Mason Hayes+Curran. This document contains general information based on Irish law at the time of its writing. Please note however that it does not constitute legal or commercial advice, nor is it intended to create a solicitor-client relationship. Neither is it intended to provide a comprehensive or detailed statement of the law. No liability whatsoever is accepted by Mason Hayes+Curran or SkillSoft for any action taken in reliance on the information in this document. You should not act or refrain from acting, on the basis of any information posted on our website but rather you should always seek specific legal and other professional advice. This content is protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws and may not be reproduced by you without our prior written consent.
Target Audience
Anyone who may, through their daily work, encounter customer and employee data of European individuals, which must be protected according to EU privacy laws