Regulation 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council - General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

Why it matters

This regulation's main objective is to give citizens back the control of their personal data and to simplify the regulatory environment for international business by unifying the regulation within the EU.

'Personal Data' means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (‘data subject’); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person.

'Processing of Personal Data' (or 'Processing') means any operation or set of operations which is performed on personal data or on sets of personal data, whether or not by automated means, such as collection, recording, organization, structuring, storage, adaptation or alteration, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure by transmission, dissemination or otherwise making available, alignment or combination, restriction, erasure or destruction.