Glossary
/ GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)

GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a regulation of the European Union (EU) that came into effect on May 25, 2018, and regulates data protection for all individuals within the EU and the European Economic Area (EEA). It affects companies and organizations that process personal data of EU citizens, regardless of whether these companies themselves are based in the EU.

The GDPR has several key objectives and principles:

  1. Transparency: Organizations must inform clearly and comprehensibly about the use of data.
  2. Data sovereignty: Individuals have the right to know what data is stored about them and can request that this data be corrected or deleted.
  3. Purpose limitation: Data may only be collected for the purpose for which it was originally collected.
  4. Data minimization: Only data necessary for the purpose may be collected.
  5. Security: Organizations must take appropriate measures to ensure the security of personal data.
  6. Accountability: Companies must be able to demonstrate that they comply with the GDPR.

Some of the important rights granted to individuals by the GDPR are:

  • Right of access: Individuals can request organizations to disclose what personal data they have stored about them.
  • Right to rectification: Individuals can request the correction of incorrect or incomplete data.
  • Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten"): Under certain circumstances, individuals can request the deletion of their data.
  • Right to data portability: Individuals can request to receive their data in a common format to transfer it to another service provider.
  • Right to object: Individuals can object to certain types of data processing, especially data processing for marketing purposes.

For companies and organizations, the GDPR has significant implications. They must ensure that their data processing practices are compliant and could face substantial fines for violations of the regulation.

With regard to AI and technology companies like MAIA, which focus on data-driven knowledge management, the GDPR is particularly relevant. AI systems often process large amounts of data, and it is crucial that this data is processed in a way that respects the privacy and rights of individuals. Companies must ensure that they are transparent about the use of AI and associated data processing and that they take appropriate security measures to protect the data.