GDPR is already out of date, founder warns

GDPR compliance
(Image credit: Pixabay (Dooffy))

German MEP Axel Voss, one of the strongest proponents of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) firmly believes that it’s time to give it an overhaul.

GDPR was passed in 2016 and is hailed as one of the most significant privacy-related legislations with equally vocal supporters and detractors. However in an interview with the Financial Times, Voss argues that that GDPR isn’t ready to tackle the challenges of the current environment. 

“We have to be aware that GDPR is not made for blockchain, facial or voice recognition, text and data mining [ . . . ] artificial intelligence,” Voss told FT

Compliance minefield

The timing of the interview is significant as it comes just ahead of a vote by the UK Parliament to celebrate GDPR as a “gold standard for the world”.

In Voss’ opinion GDPR requires “some type of surgery” to take into account the shift to the new work from home environment that’s brought with it a new set of technical compliance challenges that didn’t exist before the Covid-19 induced pandemic. He argues that GDPR is a compliance “minefield” for organizations that have a remote workforce.

“If you have a home office situation and you’re dealing with personal data, you are left alone with numerous legal obligations that are difficult to understand. What are the requirements for dealing with data protection in a private home?” Voss reasons.

Voss says his views are shared by the European People’s Party (EPP) coalition that also includes German chancellor Angela Merkel.

Via: Financial Times

Mayank Sharma

With almost two decades of writing and reporting on Linux, Mayank Sharma would like everyone to think he’s TechRadar Pro’s expert on the topic. Of course, he’s just as interested in other computing topics, particularly cybersecurity, cloud, containers, and coding.

Latest in Security
An American flag flying outside the US Capitol building against a blue sky
The FCC is creating a security council to bolster US defenses against cyberattacks
Image depicting hands typing on a keyboard, with phishing hooks holding files, passwords and credit cards.
Microsoft warns about a new phishing campaign impersonating Booking.com
Ransomware
Microsoft uncovers sleuthy new XCSSET MacOS malware campaign
Computer Hacked, System Error, Virus, Cyber attack, Malware Concept. Danger Symbol
Meta warns of worrying security flaw hitting open source type software
Hand holding smartphone and scan fingerprint biometric identity for unlock her mobile phone
Biometrics add another layer of security to passwordless authentication
Data leak
Hacked Tata Technologies data leaked by ransomware gang
Latest in News
An image of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra from a hands-on event
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra could resurrect an intriguing camera feature
Cristin Milioti in Black Mirror season 7
Netflix launches trailer for Black Mirror season 7, giving us a look at its first-ever sequel episode and an unexpected returning character
A graphic of the PC Gaming Show
Get ready for a bounty of PC games on June 8, as the PC Gaming show is back
A close up of The Daily podcast from Pocket Casts' web page
‘Podcasting shouldn’t be locked behind walled gardens’: Pocket Casts slams Spotify and makes its web player free to all
A smartphone on a sofa showing the WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal apps
Forget AI – WhatsApp is planning a simple messages feature that could be its most useful upgrade in years
NordicTrack Ultra 1
The new NordicTrack Ultra 1 treadmill looks like it was designed by an architect and costs $15,000