Minister Malenica: It is necessary to raise awareness of personal data protection

On 28 January, the Personal Data Protection Agency (AZOP) marked the European Data Protection Day with the conference GDPR - the Cornerstone of EU's Digital Future, where the awareness of personal data protection was assessed as insufficient, and publication of new fines was announced.

The emissary of the Prime Minister, Minister of Justice and Public Administration Ivan Malenica said that the awareness of personal data protection has increased, but that more needs to be done, especially in light of the digital society. 

"The future is indisputably rooted in technology. This is a decade of digital Europe, and at the same time of stronger protection of personal data. New digital tools must be accompanied by a regulatory framework and protection of personal data", said Malenica. 

He said that digital transformation is one of the backbones of Croatia's recovery programme worth over 47 billion Kuna, and among the first investments are those in broadband infrastructure and 5G networks, which will enable greater competitiveness of the economy and increase public administration efficiency. 

Croatian MEP Karlo Ressler stressed the importance of the GDPR in the EU, which marked a big and revolutionary step forward in the protection of personal data, but in the few years of implementation some problems have been perceived, especially in its uneven application in Europe. 

"This is particularly important in light of new legislative initiatives to regulate the digital world, which is now much debated in the European Parliament and has given rise to some new concerns about the protection of personal data. The rules of the GDPR were adopted six years ago, have been in force for four years, and as the world rapidly changes both technologically and socially, issues now arise that have not even been considered before, such as the use of artificial intelligence, blockchain, social valuation systems, etc. This means that the Regulation will undergo upgrades and strengthening by additional rules, but the principle will remain the same. The pandemic, Covid certificates and public health records have raised new issues of protection, but it is important to discuss all matters openly and without taboos", emphasized Ressler. 
 He described the GDPR as "the strongest legislative brand of the EU", not only with regard to European citizens, 70% of whom know of the Regulation according to surveys, but also with regard to the international community, because the EU tried, in a way, to expand its competence beyond its borders with this Regulation, which has been embraced by various corporations outside the EU. 

"It is in fact the setting of global standards that we now want to repeat in new areas by regulating digital markets, artificial intelligence, etc., where it is important to find a balance between fundamental human rights and innovation, and ultimately the competitiveness of the EU and Europe as a whole, which lags behind other global regions in terms of digital technologies", said Ressler . 
  
Director of AZOP Zdravko Vukić believes that the awareness of the importance of personal data protection in Croatia is still not at a sufficient level, which is why AZOP organises various trainings for citizens, entrepreneurs and sole proprietors. 

"We found that, in the pandemic, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises do not have enough resources, unlike large companies, to properly implement General Data Protection Regulation. On the other hand, there was an inevitable increase in the imposition of fines, which we will make public soon - in about a week ", announced Vukić. 

Since the introduction of the GDPR  four years ago, AZOP has imposed one fine, of one million Kuna, on one bank, and the new fines that will soon be made public on AZOP's website are two fines amounting to 1.5 million Kuna in total, said Vukić, adding that they were imposed on legal entities. 

When asked who violates the Regulation more - citizens or companies and organizations, Vukić said that there are violators in all these groups. Most often, as he said, citizens complain that organizations or companies deny them access to their personal data, such as bank loan data, gas station surveillance videos, etc. 

General Manager of the Croatian Employers' Association (HUP) Damir Zorić found that there were no major problems among employers in the application of the Regulation and that it was getting better. He sees it as a good instrument for improving communication and protecting the privacy of the individual, who is often under "attack" by corporations in pursuit of their own interests. 

Text and photo: (Hina)

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