Have you ever opened a bank account? Have you ever bought a product online? Have you ever booked a flight?

Then you have noticed that in order to be able to do the aforementioned, you had to provide some personal and sensitive information.

After the transaction is over, your personal data remain in the possession of third parties. Have you ever wondered if it is safe? For what other purposes can it be used?

The EU legislation has implemented strict guidelines regarding the collection and use of personal data. Only for a legitimate purpose and under specified conditions is a person or organization allowed to collect and to keep your information.

Personal data protection refers to the protection of personal information against its unauthorized and illegal collection, recording and further use, while providing the individual with a number of related rights:

Which rights do you have regarding your personal data kept by third parties?

• The right of information
• The right of access
• The right of modification
• The right of erasure, known also as the right to be forgotten.

And what about Cyprus?

The processing of personal data in Cyprus is governed by the Processing of Personal Data (Protection of the Individual) 2001, which was amended in 2003 within the context of the harmonization of the Cyprus legislation with the European directives. It aims to protect the rights of citizens and to address privacy issues arising out of the collection, storage, processing and use of personal data.

The issue of data protection is now becoming a big challenge having an impact not only on the individuals but also on every public or private organisation that collects and processes personal data in order to perform its day-to-day operations.

If you believe that your rights have been violated or if you are an organization looking to ensure its compliance with the data protection legislation please get in touch.