The years 2012 and 2013 have been particularly intense for legislators and privacy professionals globally. Many countries have enacted or are in the process of enacting/updating their data protection framework. In that context, the European Union has definitely been one of the most active regions worldwide and has been at the center of many privacy debates. A week has not gone by without news articles or developments related to the draft EU data protection regulation (‘‘Regulation’’).This reform is being followed closely by multinational companies, nongovernmental organizations, academics, and foreign governments as this instrument will have global implications.

It will likely serve as a model for other regions of the world and have extraterritorial effects on data controllers located outside of the European Union. Increased attention has also been given to privacy legislation globally and the reform of the EU data protection legal framework following the recent revelations of access to private data for law enforcement purposes.

Originally Published In Privacy & Security Law Report, 12 PVLR 1470, on 09/02/2013.