What does Data Protection Mean?

The right to the protection of personal data is a fundamental right of every person. This means that all processing of personal data must be appropriate and carried out for a specific purpose. 

In order to process personal data, it is important to identify on which grounds and when the data can be collected, published, used, stored or otherwise processed. The entity that collects personal data shall ensure that the requirements set forth in the data protection legislation are complied with, already before the processing activities are initiated.

The processing of data is governed by the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and at national level by the Data Protection Act. Furthermore, processing of personal data of employees is regulated by the Act on the Protection of Privacy in Working Life and the protection of privacy in electronic communications is governed by the Act on Electronic Communication Services. Other specific acts regarding processing of data are, for example, the Act on the Status and Rights of Patients, Act on the Electronic Processing of Client Data in Healthcare and Social Welfare and the Credit Data Act.