Henkilötietolainsäädännöt

Henkilötietolainsäädännöt refers to the legal framework governing the processing of personal data. In Finland, this is primarily governed by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of the European Union, which is directly applicable, and the Finnish Data Protection Act (Tietosuojalaki). These regulations aim to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals, particularly their right to the protection of personal data.

The core principles of these laws include lawfulness, fairness, and transparency in data processing. Data must be collected for specified, explicit, and legitimate purposes and not further processed in a manner incompatible with those purposes. Data minimization dictates that only personal data that is adequate, relevant, and limited to what is necessary in relation to the purposes for which they are processed should be collected. Accuracy is also a key principle, requiring that personal data be accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date.

Individuals have several rights under these laws, including the right to access their data, the right to rectification, the right to erasure (the "right to be forgotten"), the right to restrict processing, the right to data portability, and the right to object to processing. Controllers of personal data are obligated to implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to ensure a level of security appropriate to the risk, including protecting against unauthorized or unlawful processing and against accidental loss, destruction, or damage.

Supervision and enforcement are carried out by the national data protection authority, which in Finland is the Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman (Tietosuojavaltuutettu). They are responsible for monitoring the application of data protection laws and ensuring compliance, and can impose significant penalties for violations.