Henkilötietorekisterilaki

Henkilötietorekisterilaki was a Finnish law that regulated the processing of personal data. It came into effect in 1999 and was replaced by the Data Protection Act (Tietosuojalaki) in 2019, which implemented the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Finland. The original law aimed to protect individuals' privacy and ensure that personal information was handled responsibly by organizations.

The Henkilötietorekisterilaki stipulated principles for data processing, including the need for consent or a legitimate basis for collecting and using personal data. It also outlined the rights of individuals regarding their data, such as the right to access, rectify, and object to the processing of their personal information. Furthermore, the law required data controllers to implement appropriate security measures to prevent unauthorized access or disclosure of personal data.

The Finnish Data Protection Ombudsman was responsible for supervising the implementation and enforcement of the Henkilötietorekisterilaki. The law played a significant role in establishing a framework for data protection in Finland for two decades, setting the groundwork for the more comprehensive regulations introduced with the GDPR. Its repeal marked a shift towards a harmonized data protection regime across the European Union.