National regulators not ready for EU data laws

Many of the EU member state data protection authorities that will oversee organisations’ compliance with EU data laws coming into effect this month have said they are not yet prepared for the task.

Seventeen of the 24 national and regional data protection authorities that responded to a survey by the news agency Reuters said they did not yet have adequate funding or powers to fulfil their duties with respect to compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation, Reuters reported on 8 May.

The GDPR, which comes into effect on 25 May, requires EU-based universities, companies and other organisations that process or hold personal data to take steps such as appointing a data protection officer, providing clear information on what they do with people’s data and limiting who can access the data.