Data

Data protection, privacy and new technologies

More of our everyday lives are online — both at work and home. Meanwhile, terror attacks intensify calls for more surveillance. Concerns grow over the safety of our privacy and personal data.

FRA helps lawmakers and practitioners protect your rights in a connected world.

Highlights

Products
10
June
2021
FRA’s Fundamental Rights Report 2021 reviews major developments in the field in 2020, identifying both achievements and areas of concern. It also presents FRA’s opinions on these developments, including a synopsis of the evidence supporting these opinions. This year’s focus chapter explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on fundamental rights. The remaining chapters cover: the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights; equality and non-discrimination; racism, xenophobia and related intolerance; Roma equality and inclusion; asylum, borders and migration; information society, privacy and data protection; rights of the child; access to justice; and the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
10
June
2021
This focus looks at COVID-19’s impact on fundamental rights. It underscores that a human rights-based approach to tackling the pandemic requires balanced measures that are based on law, necessary, temporary and proportional. It also requires addressing the pandemic’s socio-economic impact, protecting the vulnerable and fighting racism.
The COVID-19 pandemic has an impact on everyone. Governments take urgent measures to curb its spread to safeguard public health and provide medical care to those who need it. They are acting to defend the human rights of health and of life itself. Inevitably, these measures limit our human and fundamental rights to an extent rarely experienced in peacetime. It is important to ensure that such limitations are consistent with our legal safeguards and that their impact on particular groups is adequately taken account of.
Artificial intelligence (AI) already plays a role in many decisions that affect our daily lives. From deciding what unemployment benefits someone gets to where a burglary is likely to take place. But we need to make sure to fully uphold fundamental rights standards when using AI. Drawing on the ‘Getting the future right – Artificial intelligence and fundamental rights’ report, FRA explores the potential benefits and possible errors that can occur focusing on four core areas – social benefits, predictive policing, health services and targeted advertising.
29
January
2021
All language versions now available
26 July 2021
FRA’s report on artificial intelligence and fundamental rights presents concrete examples of how companies and public administrations in the EU are using, or trying to use, AI. This summary presents the main insights from the report. These can inform EU and national policymaking efforts to regulate the use of AI tools in compliance with human and fundamental rights.
Artificial intelligence (AI) already plays a role in many decisions that affect our daily lives. From deciding what unemployment benefits someone gets to where a burglary is likely to take place. But we need to make sure to fully uphold fundamental rights standards when using AI. Drawing on the ‘Getting the future right – Artificial intelligence and fundamental rights’ report, FRA presents a number of key considerations to help businesses and administrations respect fundamental rights when using AI.
This is a recording from the morning session of the high-level virtual event "Doing Artificial Intelligence the European way" which took place on 14 December 2020.
This is a recording from the afternoon session of the high-level virtual event "Doing Artificial Intelligence the European way" which took place on 14 December 2020.
Artificial intelligence is here. It’s not going away. It can be a force for good, but it needs to be watched so carefully in terms of respect for our human fundamental rights. The EU Fundamental Rights Agency is deeply committed to this work.Our ambition is not just to ensure that AI respects our rights, but also that it protects and promotes them.
Will AI revolutionise the delivery of our public services? And what's the right balance? How is the private sector using AI to automate decisions — and what implications
might that have? Are some form of binding rules necessary to monitor and regulate the use of AI technology - and what should these rules look like?
How do we embrace progress while protecting our fundamental rights? As data-driven decision making increasingly touches our daily lives, what does this mean
for our fundamental rights? A step into the dark? Or the next giant leap? The time to answer these questions is here and now. Let’s seize the opportunities, but understand the challenges. Let’s make AI work for everyone in Europe…And get the future right.
14
December
2020
Artificial intelligence (AI) already plays a role in deciding what unemployment benefits someone gets, where a burglary is likely to take place, whether someone is at risk of cancer, or who sees that catchy advertisement for low mortgage rates. Its use keeps growing, presenting seemingly endless possibilities. But we need to make sure to fully uphold fundamental rights standards when using AI. This report presents concrete examples of how companies and public administrations in the EU are using, or trying to use, AI. It focuses on four core areas – social benefits, predictive policing, health services and targeted advertising.
29
July
2020
As we enter the second half of 2020, the constraints on our daily lives brought about by the Coronavirus pandemic have become a firm reality. New local lockdowns and the reintroduction of restrictive measures prompted by fresh outbreaks of the virus are a stark reminder that COVID-19 continues to shape our lives – and our enjoyment of fundamental rights – in profound ways. There is compelling evidence of how the pandemic has exacerbated existing challenges in our societies. This FRA Bulletin outlines some of the measures EU Member States adopted to safely reopen their societies and economies while continuing to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. It highlights the impact these measures may have on civil, political and socioeconomic rights.
22
July
2020
This paper presents people’s concerns and experiences relating to security. It covers worry about crime, including terrorism and online fraud; experience of online fraud; experience of cyberharassment; and concern about illegal access to data.
What are the next steps in the digitalisation of justice and of access to justice? This impulse video statement by FRA Director Michael O’Flaherty was recorded for the online conference “Access to Justice in the Digital Age”. The conference takes place on 16 July and is organised by the German Federal Ministry for Justice and Consumer Protection during the German Council Presidency.
18
June
2020
This document presents data from the FRA Fundamental Rights Survey. It includes data on opinions and experiences of people in the European Union (EU) linked to data protection and technology.
11
June
2020
Now available in Macedonian and Serbian
13 November 2020
The year 2019 brought both progress and setbacks in terms of fundamental rights protection. FRA’s Fundamental Rights Report 2020 reviews major developments in the field, identifying both achievements and remaining areas of concern. This publication presents FRA’s opinions on the main developments in the thematic areas covered, and a synopsis of the evidence supporting these opinions. In so doing, it provides a compact but informative overview of the main fundamental rights challenges confronting the EU and its Member States.
11
June
2020
FRA’s Fundamental Rights Report 2020 reviews major developments in the field in 2019, identifying both achievements and areas of concern. It also presents FRA’s opinions on these developments, including a synopsis of the evidence supporting these opinions. This year’s focus chapter explores how to unlock the full potential of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
28
May
2020
The Coronavirus pandemic continues to interrupt everyday life in the EU in unprecedented ways. But the way it affects our societies is shifting. As governments gradually lift some of the measures put in place to contain the spread of COVID-19, new fundamental rights concerns arise: how to ensure that the rights to life and health are upheld as daily life transitions to a ‘new normal’. This Bulletin looks at declarations of states of emergency, or equivalent, and how they came under scrutiny. It considers the impact on fundamental rights in important areas of daily life, and includes a thematic focus on the processing of users’ data to help contain COVID-19, particularly by contact-tracing apps. It covers the period 21 March – 30 April 2020.
In this vlog Michael O'Flaherty outlines fundamental rights considerations when developing technological responses to public health, as he introduces the focus of FRA's next COVID-19 bulletin.
The Agency’s Director, Michael O’Flaherty, took part in a meeting of the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) on 9 February.
On 13 June, FRA spoke at a high-level panel discussion on digitalisation and migration challenges. The discussion featured during a conference on digital innovation.
FRA was part of the EU Delegation at the 6th plenary meeting of the Council of Europe’s Committee on artificial intelligence (AI).
The impact of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, rising child poverty, widespread hate and protecting rights in the face of technological change are just some of the pressing human rights issues in FRA’s 2023 Fundamental Rights Report. With a focus section on the impact of the aggression within the EU, the report examines the support and solidarity provided by governments, local authorities and society. It suggests how EU countries can better ensure effective protection, especially for women who fled the conflict and need targeted support.
The Swedish Presidency of the EU invited FRA and Europol to a discussion on artificial intelligence from a law enforcement perspective.
An increased number of oversight bodies in EU Member States now monitors the work of intelligence services. But people whose human rights were violated still have difficulty getting justice, finds an update from the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). It supports the work of the European Parliament Committee investigating the use of the Pegasus spyware (PEGA). The Parliament will adopt its final resolution on spyware in June 2023.
FRA joined the 31st conference of the European Data Protection Authorities.
FRA joined the 5th plenary meeting of the Council of Europe’s Committee on artificial intelligence (AI) as part of the EU Delegation.
FRA joined the Spring Academy of the Asser Institute on AI and international law on 28 March.
FRA took part in a conference on the legal consequences of a recent Court of Justice of the EU ruling on the Passenger Name Records (PNR) Directive for the future of European laws governing security.
On 28 February, FRA spoke at the closing conference of the EU-funded PolStops network.
FRA actively took part in the plenary meeting of the Council of Europe Committee on Artificial Intelligence (CAI) from 1 to 3 February.
FRA moderated a panel at a conference organised by major EU-funded research consortia dealing with AI technologies used by law enforcement.
FRA took part in the third plenary meeting of the Council of Europe Committee on Artificial Intelligence (CAI).
Artificial intelligence is everywhere and affects everyone. A new report from the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) looks at the use of artificial intelligence in predictive policing and offensive speech detection. It demonstrates how bias in algorithms appears and how it can affect people’s lives. This is the first time FRA provides hands-on evidence on how biases develop. The Agency calls on policymakers to ensure AI is tested for biases that could lead to discrimination.
FRA joined a round table discussion on the EU Digital Services Act, fundamental rights, and civic space on 8 November.
FRA took part in several events at the Web Summit 2022 in Lisbon from 2 to 4 November.
FRA was part of the second plenary meeting of the Council of Europe Committee on Artificial Intelligence (CAI).
FRA took part in the second Quo Vadis AI conference in Athens on 17 June.
The pandemic triggered unprecedented EU financial support to counter the social impact of Covid-19. Many people in the EU, especially vulnerable people, faced reduced access to healthcare, childcare, education and the internet. This has led to excess mortality, poverty, unemployment and social exclusion. FRA’s Fundamental Rights Report 2022 outlines the pandemic’s wide-ranging impact on social rights. It also suggests how to address increasing inequalities and threats to societal cohesion.
FRA will give a presentation on the challenges of implementing procedural law from the perspective of safeguards and guarantees during a cybercrime legislation workshop at this year’s Octopus Conference.
FRA will join a panel discussion at the high-level conference on Balancing fundamental rights in data protection on 16 November.
FRA will join the eu-LISA agency’s annual conference on 27 October. It will take stock of current developments in the Justice and Home Affairs area.
FRA will participate in a public webinar on ethnic profiling.
FRA will speak at a conference on public policies related to profiling.
FRA will introduce findings from its Getting the future rights – artificial intelligence and fundamental rights report during the ENISA Annual Privacy Forum.
FRA’s Director Michael O’Flaherty will speak on 10 June about freedom of expression protection frameworks in times of crisis.
FRA will join round-table discussions on identifying and preventing the discriminatory impact of artificial intelligence.
During this year’s annual computer, privacy and data protection conference (CPDP 2021), FRA will host a panel on getting AI right.
Rights International Spain is hosting a webinar on public policies to eradicate ethnic profiling.
On 9 December, the FRA Director will address the EU-NGO Human Rights Forum. This year the focus is on the impact of new technologies on human rights. The forum provides a platform to elaborate recommendations on how the EU can further foster human rights compliance in the digital sphere.
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This year, FRA again teams up with the This human world international human rights film festival.
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FRA will take part in this year’s Internet Governance Forum (IGF), which runs virtually from 2-17 November. It will join the session on the role of the private sector in developing guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence.
How can we balance the importance of promoting technological, economic and social innovation with the need to protect individuals and society from its potentially harmful effects? This is one of the areas that will be explored during a high-level virtual event on 14 December on doing artificial intelligence the European way.
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FRA will take part in the annual closed session of the Global Privacy Assembly (GPA) as an observer.
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FRA will discuss the fundamental rights considerations of using Artificial intelligence during a meeting of the European Commission’s Digital Criminal Justice Expert Group.
Artificial intelligence and encryption will feature during a virtual meeting of the Council of the EU’s Standing Committee on Operational Cooperation on Internal Security (COSI).
Remote biometric identification systems, such as facial recognition, are regularly identified as a candidate for regulation.
The annual summer school on EU policy making organised by the Institute for European Studies (IES) and the Diplomatic Academy in Vienna is this year organised online.