The new European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has now entered into force.

Thanks to the new European data protection law, the GDPR, Luxembourgers will have better control over how their personal data is collected and used, while benefiting from better protection in case of information leaks.

Whether shopping online, sending out tax returns or using social media, the new law provides Europeans with new rights to control how companies use their personal digital data. At the same time, the GDPR requires companies to implement new procedures for protecting data.

For Luxembourgers, data protection and privacy have proven to be very important, with only 37% of them claiming to trust the Internet and many finding that data protection statements are too long (78%) or incomprehensible (52%). Meanwhile, eight out of ten Luxembourgers believed they do not control 100% of their personal data, and six out of ten said they were wary of virtual online businesses.

Luxembourg and other European citizens now have the right to obtain all the personal data that a former service provider possesses. Strengthening the regulation of data breach also means that citizens must be informed if a violation poses a risk to their rights and freedoms.

The new laws will be applied throughout the European Union, regardless of the location of the data and the location of each organisation. They even apply to non-EU companies that target the citizens of the European Union. Whether EU citizens shop locally or order from abroad, they will have the same rights and protection.

If an individual believes that their privacy rights have been violated, they can contact the organisation that stores their data. It must then respond to this request without delay and free of charge. Consumers also have the right to file a complaint or to go to court with the national data protection commission, the CNPD.