The Awareness Campaign “Maximum Vigilance When Sharing/Providing Personal Data” Continues
The National Center for Personal Data Protection (NCPDP), in collaboration with the General Inspectorate of the Border Police (GIBP), continues its public awareness campaign on personal data protection. The campaign, carried out under the slogan “Maximum Vigilance When Sharing/Providing Personal Data,” took place at Chișinău International Airport—one of the Republic of Moldova’s most important transit points—with the aim of raising citizens’ awareness about the risks associated with uncontrolled disclosure of personal data.
The awareness activities involved the active participation of the Personal Data Protection Department within the GIBP, as well as the Personal Data Protection Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. During the event, data subjects received informative materials and practical advice, being warned that identity documents (such as ID cards, passports), civil status certificates, pensioner ID cards, bank cards, etc., contain a multitude of personal data that require effective protection by their holders. Providing or transmitting copies of these documents, as well as writing personal data in various lists or documents for purposes other than those explicitly provided by law, may lead to illegal use of such data for purposes contrary to those initially intended, to the detriment of the data subjects.
Representatives of the NCPDP emphasized that any request from third parties for access to such data must be treated with utmost caution. It is essential that holders of these data/documents verify the legality of the request and the exact purpose of collecting personal data before providing them.
The campaign “Maximum Vigilance When Sharing/Providing Personal Data” took place in a public, interactive setting, with the participation of Ms. Victoria Muntean, Director of the NCPDP, who, as an active promoter of citizens’ fundamental rights, highlighted the crucial role of continuous education and information of the public in the face of increasingly frequent and sophisticated threats related to identity theft and the abusive use of personal data: “Personal data is not just simple information; it reflects who we are, what we do, and what defines us as individuals. Once publicly exposed or stolen, these data can open the door to abuses, financial fraud, or serious violations of privacy. Through this campaign, we aim to build an informational safeguard as well as a culture of data protection among the population.”
As part of interinstitutional collaboration, the NCPDP and GIBP will continue to organize informational sessions in regional areas. Citizens will be informed about potential cases of non-compliant processing of personal data, and they will receive guidance and practical recommendations on the actions to take in such cases.
Additionally, we specify that the mentioned awareness campaign was simultaneously carried out at the regional departments of the GIBP and state border crossing points.
In this regard, as the national supervisory authority for the processing of personal data, the NCPDP stresses the responsibility of every citizen to ensure the protection of personal data, as the security and confidentiality of these data must remain a priority.