On 28th January 2017 the Commission for Personal Data Protection will celebrate the Data Protection Day for the eleventh time. The initiative of commemorating this day is laid down by the Council of Europe and it is celebrated for the first time in 2007. Nowadays, 28th of January is celebrated both in Europe and around the world.
On this date during 1981 the European countries that share the fundamental principles for protection of human rights laid down by the Council of Europe, had the opportunity to accede Convention 108 for the Protection of individuals with regard to automatic processing of personal data. Currently, Convention 108 is in the process of modernizing so that it can meet the challenges of the rapidly developing technologies.
The main purpose of the event is to raise the awareness of citizens, as well as encouraging initiatives and good practices in the field of privacy and data protection. An environment for dialogue is created for everyone interested in improving this protection by encouraging compliance with the rules of confidentiality of personal information, as well as stimulating the development of technological means, that allow people to have control over their personal data. The international celebration of this day creates opportunities for cooperation between data protection authorities, governments, industry, academia, non-governmental organizations.
Since this year, January 28 is on a Saturday, the celebration of the European Data Protection Day will be on 30 January in the Commission’s premises. This year the accent of the event falls on the dialogue between the CPDP and the citizens and data controllers.
The Commission for Personal Data Protection of the Republic of Bulgaria plans to organise the following events:
1. From 11:00 to 12:30- an Open Doors Day of the Chairperson, the Members of the Board of the Commission for Personal Data Protection and the Secretary General. It’s aimed at anyone who is willing to get acquainted with their work, or has questions, or wishes some up-to-date information, as well as sharing their ideas and suggestions.
2. A consultation for data controllers and citizens will be given from 11:00 to 12:30, in the conference room of the Commission for Personal Data Protection. Experts from the Commission will give an answer to the visitors’ questions, as well as will listen to their concerns and suggestions.
3. During the official event for the members and the staff of the Commission for Personal Data Protection and following the announcement during the previous year’s event of the first annual award for journalism, the journalist Mariya Kadiyska, working for “Monitor” and “Politika” newspapers, will be awarded with a special prize for her contribution for promoting citizens’ right to data protection.
Several short videos on the topic “Privacy in the Digital Era” will be displayed in the ground floor of the Commission for Personal Data Protection’s premises throughout the whole day. The videos were also uploaded on the official web site of the CPDP – www.cpdp.bg.
The Commission for Personal Data Protection invites everyone to pay a visit and partake in the dialogue with the public!
