What’s the difference between privacy and data protection?
This piece was first published on the FP Logue website and is reproduced here with permission.
In Ireland, it’s increasingly common to see “privacy” used interchangeably or as a substitute for “data protection”. This may be due to lack of awareness, the influence of U.S. focused organisations, or marketing preferences for a catchier term. Whatever the reason, it is important to know the legal difference between the terms in order to avoid confusion about rights and obligations.
Privacy is a broad term encompassing a number of rights, including the right to be let alone and the right to respect for private and family life, home and communications. A useful description of privacy is from the UK’s Calcutt Committee report of 1990 as “the right of the individual to be protected against intrusion into his personal life or affairs, or those of his family, by direct physical means or by publication of information.” In Ireland, privacy rights derive mainly from the Constitution of Ireland (as one of the unenumerated personal rights recognised by Article 40.3), Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Article 7 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
Data Protection means the protection of individuals in relation to the collection and use of their personal data. In Ireland, data protection is governed by Article 8 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Organisations have legal obligations in relation to processing of personal data and individuals have rights, including information, access, rectification, objection and erasure. Other rights include lodging a complaint with the Data Protection Commission and receiving compensation for damage suffered as a result of an organisation not complying with their GDPR obligations.
The terms “privacy” and “data protection” are sometimes related in practice because the same factual situation can engage with both concepts. For example, the risk to an individual resulting from how their personal data is processed could involve a breach of privacy depending on the circumstances.
However, we recommend keeping “privacy” and “data protection” distinguishable to avoid confusion and misunderstandings about legal rights and obligations. It is important for individuals to know they have data protection rights, and for organisations to know they have data protection obligations, in situations which often have nothing to do with privacy.
Where next?
Read more elsewhere
‘If you mean Data Protection, don’t say Privacy’, FP Logue Solicitors
Topics
Data Protection Fundamentals (basics, definitions and more …)
Your Rights (all your data protection rights: access, information, rectification and more …)
In More Detail (explorations and explanations of data protection concepts …)
Keeping Track (tracking Subject Access Requests and complaints to Supervisory Authorities …)