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

  • Report / Paper / Summary
    24
    May
    2023
    This report provides a partial update on the findings of the 2017 European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) report Surveillance by intelligence services: Fundamental rights safeguards and remedies in the EU. It was prepared at the request of the European Parliament, which asked FRA to update its 2017 findings to support the work of its committee of inquiry to investigate the use of Pegasus and equivalent surveillance spyware (PEGA).
  • Report / Paper / Summary
    8
    December
    2022
    Artificial intelligence is everywhere and affects everyone – from deciding what content people see on their social media feeds to determining who will receive state benefits. AI technologies are typically based on algorithms that make predictions to support or even fully automate decision-making.
  • Handbook / Guide / Manual
    25
    May
    2018
    The rapid development of information technology has exacerbated the need for robust personal data protection, the right to which is safeguarded by both European Union (EU) and Council of Europe (CoE) instruments. Safeguarding this important right entails new and significant challenges as technological advances expand the frontiers of areas such as surveillance, communication interception and data storage. This handbook is designed to familiarise legal practitioners not specialised in data protection with this emerging area of the law.
    Publications and data
    Automation and AI have radically transformed how we work, live and play. In this video, Director of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, Michael O'Flaherty, discusses the implications of AI for our most basic of human rights.
    16
    September
    2022
    Europe stands at a delicate moment in its history, facing a convergence of major tests. Each of them taken on their own is significant. Together, they pose profound questions about the political, economic, and societal future of the continent. This is a moment for strong commitment to put human rights at the heart of our vision for Europe’s future. It is also time to demonstrate our determination to work together to this end. Against this backdrop, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) brought together around sixty human rights leaders and experts from across the continent to discuss elements of a human rights vision for the future and to identify opportunities for action. A full conference report will be available soon, including the specific ideas and proposals which arose from the meeting. Meanwhile, this is a summary of the conclusions.
    8
    June
    2022
    FRA’s Fundamental Rights Report 2022 reviews major developments in the field in 2021, 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.
    8
    June
    2022
    This focus looks at the impact of the pandemic on social rights. It examines the measures in national recovery and resilience plans that address the social vulnerabilities among a variety of population groups in the EU, including women, children and young people in situations of vulnerability, people with disabilities, older people, Roma and people in precarious working conditions.
    8
    June
    2022
    All language versions now available
    14 September 2022
    The year 2021 brought both progress and setbacks in terms of fundamental rights protection. FRA’s Fundamental Rights Report 2022 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.
    7
    April
    2022
    ES, NL and PL version now available
    17 June 2025
    Children are full-fledged holders of rights. They are beneficiaries of all human and fundamental rights and subjects of special regulations, given their specific characteristics. This handbook aims to illustrate how European law and case law accommodate the specific interests and needs of children. It also considers the importance of parents and guardians or other legal representatives and makes reference, where appropriate, to situations in which rights and responsibilities are most prominently vested in children’s carers. It is a point of reference on both European Union (EU) and Council of Europe (CoE) law related to these subjects, explaining how each issue is regulated under EU law, including the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, as well as under the European Convention on Human Rights, the European Social Charter and other CoE instruments.
    The Fundamental Rights Forum 2021 was the space for dialogue on the human rights challenges facing the EU today. In this video, participants talk about the challenges of fundamental rights in the digital age.
    In this vlog, FRA Director Michael O’Flaherty points to the urgent need to tackle disinformation. He provides examples of what can be done to combat disinformation, including what the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights could contribute to this challenge.
    10
    June
    2021
    The year 2020 brought both progress and setbacks in terms of fundamental rights protection. FRA’s Fundamental Rights Report 2021 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.
    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.
    This video blog by FRA Director Michael O'Flaherty is released periodically and will address burning fundamental rights themes.
    Mario Oetheimer presented FRA’s second surveillance report to the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) Committee on 21 November in Brussels.
    This is the recording of the online press briefing about mass surveillance as presented by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) on 16 October 2017.
    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.
    FRA presented selected findings from its reports on Artificial intelligence and fundamental rights and bias in algorithms during a conference of the European Legal Interpreters and Translators Association.
    FRA joined a Working Group meeting on 28 March 2025 in Brussels at the invitation of the EU Council’s e-Justice working party to discuss the use of AI in the justice field.
    FRA and the European Court of Human Rights have issued their latest in a series of joint thematic factsheets. This factsheet examines mass surveillance and its impact on human rights within the context of EU law and the European Convention on Human Rights.
    FRA presented its ongoing project on remote biometric identification in law enforcement and the fundamental rights implications during an international conference on law enforcement technologies. The conference explored the regulatory framework of facial recognition technologies and the challenges posed by law enforcement authorities in deploying facial recognition.
    As human rights and democracy come under increasing pressure worldwide, the discussions at the latest Fundamental Rights Forum remain as relevant as ever. On 11-12 March 2024, the Forum gathered diverse voices to tackle some of the most pressing human rights challenges of our time. The Forum’s videos on FRA’s YouTube channel offer insights into issues, such as democratic resilience, freedom of expression, and challenges to the rule of law - all critical in today's shifting political landscape.
    FRA highlighted key findings from its work related to fundamental rights impact assessments under the EU AI Act during a workshop in Berlin.
    FRA presented its work on the use of new technologies by law enforcement at a hybrid seminar of the Independent Police Complaints Authorities’ Network (IPCAN). IPCAN members attended the 8 November event.
    FRA joined the first day of the EU Summer School organised for Luxembourg-based EU institutions on 9 July.
    FRA presented the findings and FRA opinions on effective oversight from its work in the area of surveillance by intelligence services at a Summit organised by the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS).
    FRA launched its report on the GDPR-experiences of data protection authorities during the Privacy Symposium Conference in Venice on 11 June. These supervisory bodies are the key enforcers of the fundamental right of personal data protection.
    FRA presented its research on the challenges faced by Data Protection Authorities (DPAs) in implementing the GDPR to the delegates of the Data Protection Working Party of the Council of the EU.
    Large number of complaints, lack of human and financial resources and a growing workload – these are some of the challenges that most data protection authorities face when implementing the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), finds the new report from the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). FRA calls on the EU countries to ensure data protection authorities have the resources they need to ensure people’s personal data are protected.
    People’s fundamental rights are at risk across Europe. This is due to rising levels of poverty, persistent threats against democracy, widespread racism and challenges occurring in the context of migration, finds FRA’s Fundamental Rights Report 2024. These threats underline the need to ensure a strong and sustainable fundamental rights protection across the EU, particularly for people in vulnerable situations. The report suggests how policymakers and civil society can work in tandem to counter the threat of social exclusion and enable a more equal and fairer society for all.
    FRA gave a plenary address during the first European Legal Tech Summit. The summit took place on 23 May in Vienna.
    FRA co-sponsored the 2024 Computers, Privacy and Data Protection (CPDP) conference that ran from 22 to 24 May in Brussels. The event takes place every year.
    On 15 May, FRA presented its research on the challenges faced by Data Protection Authorities in implementing the EU General Data Protection Regulation, six years after its entry into force, at the Spring conference of European Data Protection Authorities in Riga.
    FRA delivered a lecture on 23 April in The Hague on AI and fundamental rights as part of the 2024 Spring Academy on AI and International Law, convened by the TMC Asser Institute.
    FRA took part at the fifth edition of Civil Society Roundtable series on ‘Establishing a Multi-stakeholder Approach to Effective Implementation & Enforcement: The EU Digital Services Act (DSA)’.
    FRA joined an AI workshop of the EU’s Innovation Hub for Internal Security. The meeting allowed participants to exchange information on the use of AI among participating agencies.
    On 20 March, FRA presented its report on online content moderation to the European Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee. It was part of a debate on progress in implementing the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA).
    The Estonian Human Rights Centre will host a conference on artificial intelligence and human rights on 26 January in Tallinn.
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    The Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media is organising a conference to discuss the impact of artificial intelligence on freedom of expression.
    The first Global Forum on the Ethics of AI will be hosted by Czechia on 13 December in Prague.
    On 4 November, FRA Director will take part in the Web Summit 2022 in Lisbon, Portugal. He will speak about automating human rights and host a roundtable on digital technologies and human rights.
    FRA will join the opening ceremony of the summer school on the regulation of robotics and AI in Europe on 4 July.
    FRA will host a panel debate on modern technologies used for law enforcement and fundamental rights at this year’s annual Computer, Privacy and Data Protection conference.
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    On 19 and 20 May, the Croatian data protection authority, AZOP, hosts the 30th conference of data protection authorities in Dubrovnik.
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    The European Policy Congress this year will focus on whether change poses a risk or a chance.
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    FRA will join the Privacy Symposium, a conference that takes place in Venice from 5-7 April.
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    FRA and the Council of Europe will gather experts to support the publication of a joint handbook on European law relating to cybercrime and fundamental rights.
    FRA's Director will discuss the impact of bias when developing trustworthy Artificial Intelligence at a European Parliament public hearing.
    FRA will join a discussion on 29 November on ethical principles and fundamental rights considerations in data innovation for migration policy.
    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.