From 2011, the General Inspector for Personal Data Protection (GIODO) will be able to impose fines for non-compliance with its decisions.

GIODO will be able to take enforcement action by way of administrative proceedings which could lead to a maximum fine of €2,500 for individuals and €12,500 for companies and other organisations.

Where multiple fines are imposed in one set of proceedings, they may not total more than €12,500 for individuals and €50,000 for organisations.

This is the most important of a number of changes being made to data protections laws, which include:

  • clarifying that data subjects may revoke consent to the processing of their personal data
  • developing the rules on inspections by GIODO
  • authorising GIODO to ensure efficient protection of personal data by relevant authorities
  • removing provisions regulating the disclosure of personal data for purposes other than their inclusion into a data filing system
  • introducing criminal liability for preventing or hindering the performance of inspections

Law: amendments to the Data Protection Act

This article was written for Law-Now, CMS Cameron McKenna's free online information service. To register for Law-Now, please go to www.law-now.com/law-now/mondaq

Law-Now information is for general purposes and guidance only. The information and opinions expressed in all Law-Now articles are not necessarily comprehensive and do not purport to give professional or legal advice. All Law-Now information relates to circumstances prevailing at the date of its original publication and may not have been updated to reflect subsequent developments.

The original publication date for this article was 30/11/2010.