The EU's Assertion of Privacy as a Human Right
Question
The European Union is often considered the world leader in regard to the privacy of personal data and has declared privacy to be a "human right." In what year did the EU first assert this principle?
Answers
Explanations
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A. B. C. D.A.
The EU passed Directive 95/46 EC in 1995, which established data privacy as a human right.
The other years listed are incorrect.
The correct answer is A. 1995.
The EU has long been a champion of privacy and data protection, with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) being its most recent and well-known data privacy legislation. However, the EU's commitment to privacy as a human right dates back to the 1990s.
In 1995, the European Union adopted the Data Protection Directive (95/46/EC), which established a legal framework for the protection of personal data throughout the EU. The directive required that member states implement measures to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of natural persons, and in particular their right to privacy with respect to the processing of personal data. This was the first time that the EU explicitly declared privacy to be a fundamental human right.
The Data Protection Directive was later replaced by the GDPR in 2018, which strengthened and updated the EU's data protection framework. The GDPR builds on the principles established by the Data Protection Directive, but also includes new provisions such as the "right to be forgotten" and stricter requirements for obtaining consent for data processing.
In summary, the EU first asserted the principle of privacy as a human right in 1995 with the adoption of the Data Protection Directive.
