Rosa Barcelo

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Privacy on the crossroads of innovation and competitiveness

The European Union is in a precarious situation on several levels. It seeks to maintain internal cohesion while respecting the uniqueness of the individual member states. It strongly supports the principles of innovation and competitiveness of European businesses while recognizing the importance of a stable environment for the long-term functioning of the society. It wants to provide a high level of protection to its citizens and at the same time complicates everyone's life by the set rules.

The protection of privacy in the digital world and the regulatory framework for its operation have been at the center of attention in recent months. Privacy of individuals comes into contact with external influences virtually all the time. Our online activities are proactively monitored to be used, at the very least, for business purposes. At work we often use employers' equipment, the use of which we know the employers monitor, at the very least, for cyber security purposes. The cities and towns, in which we live and operate, are monitored for, at the very least, the people’s health and safety.

The legislation is highly fragmented, showing particularly protective features and significantly favoring the online world and its digital instruments. In the context of personal data processing, a relatively new and very robust general data protection regulation is trying to cover the area of privacy protection. The forthcoming revision of the e-privacy regulation will regulate privacy in electronic communications (i.e. in the online world).

Both of these regulations declare in their recitals that they are being adopted, inter alia, in order to increase the competitiveness of European businesses and with regard to the need for innovations in the digital world. Obviously, the ability to innovate, the ability to compete, and the protection of privacy each has its own priorities and they might not be mutually complementary.

Rosa Barcelo

Rosa Barcelo advises clients on data protection and privacy. She has a particular focus on cutting-edge ICT issues, including AI, machine learning, autonomous vehicles, programmatic advertising and online tracking technologies. Rosa has nearly 20 years of experience in European data protection and privacy. Her experience covers diverse sectors and is drawn from working in private practice, as well as in public service with the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) and the European Commission. Rosa was Deputy Head of Unit of the Cybersecurity and Digital Privacy Unit of DG CONNECT in the European Commission, where she led legislative deliberations over the proposed e-Privacy Regulation. Rosa’s work with the office of the EDPS focused on a wide range of ICT-related issues. Last but not least, Rosa worked closely with national supervisory authorities participating in the former Article 29 Working Party (now the European Data Protection Board).

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