28 January 2024: 43 years of Convention 108 and 18th European Data Protection Day

Personal data is processed every second around the world – at work, when dealing with public authorities, in healthcare, when trading goods or services, when travelling abroad or when surfing the internet.

Every year, on 28 January, the European community celebrates “European Data Protection Day”. This year marks the 18th edition and 43 years since the adoption of Convention 108 for the protection of individuals with regard to automatic processing of personal data in Strasbourg on 28 January 1981.

The purpose of Convention No 108 is to ensure in the territory of each State Party, respect for the fundamental rights and freedoms, and in particular the right to privacy with respect to the processing of personal data, of every individual, regardless of nationality or residence.

It is a very special day, not only for the member states of the Council of Europe, but also for the entire Global Data Protection Community and, above all, for every individual protected by this fundamental right.

To this end, Council of Europe member states and others are organising various activities and public events to mark the day. The Republic of Moldova marks this event together with all European countries. Although the field of personal data protection is a relatively new one for Moldovan society, we have managed to make great strides in the last decade in ensuring respect for the right to privacy and in efforts to align with European standards in the field of personal data protection.

Our role as the National Data Protection Authority is becoming increasingly important and the annual celebration of this day is an opportunity to bring to the attention of the public the importance of respecting the principles of personal data processing, the right to privacy and the right to personal data protection, enshrined as fundamental rights.