Andmekaitseõigus

Andmekaitseõigus, also known as data protection law, is a body of law that governs the processing of personal data. It aims to protect individuals' privacy and control over their personal information. This legal field has gained significant importance in the digital age due to the vast amounts of data collected, stored, and shared.

Key principles of data protection law often include lawful processing, purpose limitation, data minimization, accuracy, storage limitation, integrity, and confidentiality. Lawful processing means data can only be processed under specific legal grounds, such as consent or necessity. Purpose limitation ensures data is collected for specified, explicit, and legitimate purposes. Data minimization dictates that only necessary data should be collected. Accuracy ensures data is correct and up-to-date. Storage limitation means data should not be kept longer than necessary. Integrity and confidentiality refer to protecting data from unauthorized access or disclosure.

Individuals typically have rights under data protection law, such as the right to access their data, rectify inaccuracies, erase their data, restrict processing, and object to certain types of processing. Data controllers, entities that determine the purposes and means of processing personal data, and data processors, entities that process data on behalf of controllers, have obligations to comply with these laws.

Significant regulations in this area include the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union, which has had a global impact, and various national data protection acts. Enforcement typically involves data protection authorities that can investigate breaches and impose penalties. The field is constantly evolving to address new technologies and data processing methods.