5th anniversary of the GDPR announcments

To mark the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) across the EU and in the UK, we provide a roundup of the articles, surveys and reports published to celebrate the world's flagship privacy law. 

• The European Commission issued the following statement. "Five years ago, in 2018, a pioneering act entered into application: the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This landmark legislation has empowered citizens to truly gain control over their data and has created a level playing field for businesses. The GDPR has been a decisive step in shaping the digital transition in the EU. Not only have we set global standards for the safe regulation of data flows, but we have also created the foundation for a human-centric approach to the use of technology..."
• The Irish Data Protection Commission marks the GDPR's 5th anniversary with a podcast on children's data protection.
• Austrian privacy group NOYB posted an article highlighting that only 15% of its 800+ complaints filed have been decided. The post contains a detailed analysis of its complaints broken down by data protection authority, including the age of the complaint and its current status. 
• In an interview with The Globe Echo, Max Schrems, honorary NOYB chair, said the GDPR will continue to have an influence because it's the global standard. 
• The IAPP published an infographic highlighting the GDPR's influence and impact.
• InfoSecurity Magazine lists four key GDPR trends that have developed over the last five that companies should consider and, more broadly, how their organisation should approach data security.
• In her weekly article, Isabell Roccia, IAPP Managing Director, Europe, reflects on the GDPR's impact, highlighting over 1,700 enforcement actions, 32 rulings by the Court of Justice of the European Union and over €4 billion in fines. 
• Politico analysed the GDPR Enforcement Tracker to produce a number of key charts on the GDPR at five. The charts indicate which DPAs are leading the way in fines by volume and size, what sectors are targeted the most, and a comparison of the five years of enforcement. 
• Law firm Pinsent Masons has produced a detailed assessment of the GDPR at five across a series of linked articles These include: 
  • An article looking at the international impact of the GDPR and how it has shaped data protection regulation globally. Five years on, the article looks at the regulation's impact on businesses and policymaking in China, Hong Kong, Australia, the Middle East and Africa.
  • A related article examines how the UK is carving its own innovation-led path under the GDPR. The article looks at the events in the UK since May 2018 and how the UK government faces a balancing act to free up businesses from changes that would genuinely benefit businesses with the need to maintain EU adequacy.
  • The law firm's third article examines how business strategies have adapted to GDPR and its impact on technology. To the GDPR's credit, it has driven a change in boardroom attitudes, which it anticipates will continue for a further five years. Furthermore, as part of a wider set of digital regulations, there are differing opinions on its impact on technological innovation. In areas such as cybersecurity, the GDPR has had a positive effect, but in other areas, GDPR could be considered an innovation inhibitor. 
  • In the final two articles in the series, the GDPR has created a legal minefield for businesses. On the one hand, the risk of enforcement action in Europe looks set to continue to evolve, giving more powers to regulators and placing businesses under greater pressure to ensure compliance. On the other hand, the risk of class action-style data protection claims has risen since the GDPR came into effect. 

We will keep updating this post throughout the day with additional announcements.