Regaining Control and Sovereignty in the Digital Age

Abstract

Even if some investigators obviously see an advantage in mass surveillance of all areas of life: Do we really want to live in such a world? Is it desirable that every detail of our lives can be monitored? Talking about democracy and rule of law as we know it, the answer seems to be clear. At least it is clear that everybody should be free to opt for the protection that constitutions and treaties give to privacy and the fundamental right to data protection. Therefore, it is right to call for a better enforcement of data protection against companies and authorities that still do not comply fully with the rules the European Union passed in 1995. It must be in the hands of those affected, which information they want to reveal about themselves. Only if this is certain, will trust of citizens and consumers come back. European data protection standards have the potential of leading in a trustful market in which access to personal data is only possible if there is a legal justification or the consent by the “data subject”.