Legal background

Privacy laws

The following are the main legal documents or treaties that express a certain right to privacy.

Worldwide

[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)].

• Guidelines (1980).

[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)].

• Convention 108 (1981).

In Europe

[The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)] (1950).

• [article 8].

Directive [95/46/EC] on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data (24-10-1995).

Directive [97/66/EC] concerning the processing of personal data and the protection of privacy in the telecommunications sector (15-12-1997).

• Replaced by the 'eprivacy' directive

[2002/58/EC] concerning the processing of personal data and the protection of privacy in the electronic communications sector (Directive on privacy and electronic communications).

• • Replaced by directive 'Burgerrechten' 2009/136/EC

Related or opposing laws

The following agreements and regulations are related to, or sometimes even opposed to, the above rights to privacy

• Data retention directive 2006/24/EC
• Safe Harbour Agreement (26-7-2000)
• Regulation (EU) 45/2001
• Charter Fundamental Rights 7-12-2000
• Article 3 (c) Directive 99/5/EC