Two decades of protecting privacy and data protection to fuel the future

Summary:

The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) is celebrating its 20th anniversary, marking two decades of protecting individuals' fundamental rights to privacy and data protection in the European Union (EU). Since its inception in 2004, the EDPS has evolved to become a stronger and bolder institution, shaping the data protection landscape through four key mandates. The EDPS has been instrumental in the development and enforcement of key data protection legislation, including the General Data Protection Regulation. As the institution looks to the future, it aims to promote a safer digital future for the EU and a positive vision of digitisation that values and respects all individuals, particularly the most vulnerable. The EDPS has four key pillars to achieve this goal, including a book and timeline analyzing key data protection milestones, 20 talks with leading voices, 20 initiatives to further empower individuals' fundamental rights, and a European Data Protection Summit.