An oral history of data protection

A series on the Oral History of Data Protection by the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) features in-depth interviews with leading industry experts who shed light on how the landscape of data protection has transformed over time and what lies ahead.

Part one: Negotiating the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Guidelines on the Protection of Privacy and Transborder Flows of Personal Data in 1980 marked the first major international instrument on privacy and personal data protection. The negotiations were led by Michael Kirby. The interview with Kirby discusses his work on the Guidelines and privacy.

Part two: The Council of Europe’s Convention 108 was opened for signature on 28 January 1981. Arguably, it is the most important legally binding global instrument on the protection of personal data. It was preceded by a 1973 Resolution on the protection of privacy vis-à-vis electronic data banks in the private sector, Resolution 73(22), and by a 1974 Resolution for the public sector, Resolution 74(29). The Interview with Peter J. Hustinx reveals key insights on the discussions that accompanied the drafting of Convention 108.

Part three: Explores the development of data protection in Europe through the eyes of Dr Waltraut Kotschy, former Executive Member of the Austrian Data Protection Commission. Dr Kotschy is interviewed by Prof. Laura Drechsler, Assistant Professor at KU Leuven for Data Law and researcher for the Belgian State Archives, and Prof. Gloria González Fuster, Director of the Law, Science, Technology and Society (LSTS) Research Group at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB).