Personal Data in the Spotlight

Protecting personal data in the digital economy and developing the data economy are among the Russian government’s top priorities. Today, there are numerous issues that need to be resolved in this regard: determining what data can be considered personal, to what extent the depersonalization of personal data helps to protect the rights of the owners of personal data, how to protect biometric and other personal data against leaks and the abuse of rights by personal data operators, and greater legal liability for violations of personal data laws. As the number of new challenges and threats increases concerning the processing of personal data, including the growing interest of foreign intelligence services from unfriendly states in the personal data of Russian citizens, there has been an increase in the number of personal data leaks, which requires a very serious approach to both the legal definition of the criteria for leaks and a comprehensive approach to countering them. Legislation is actively evolving today, as a number of new draft regulatory legal acts and draft amendments to them are being considered, which means their adequacy and compliance with the current level of threats need to be discussed. One of the key problems in protecting personal data is the need to improve the culture of personal data among Russian citizens. Sociological surveys show that more than 60% of Russians complain that they lack the knowledge and skills to protect their data. The proportion of Russians who are willing to disclose their personal data and information in exchange for an advantageous offer from any organization is constantly on the rise. This means a set of government measures needs to be created to inform citizens about what personal data is and how it can be protected. New technologies and the development of services in digital environments have led to an increase in the amount of biometric personal data transmitted when receiving services and performing certain operations. In this regard, Russians regularly have to share such data both when directly contacting government and commercial organizations, and when using various digital services. Meanwhile, the practice of applying new legislation in the protection of biometric personal data could cause a number of difficulties that could possibly require adjustments. What are the main gaps that exist in the legal protection of personal data today? How can we improve existing legislation to meet the current challenges in this regard?