In its new report "Data Privacy and Data Security 2015", Deutsche Telekom looks back at the year and sets its sights on digitization. "2015 saw many changes in the fields of data privacy and security," explains Thomas Kremer, Board member for Data Privacy, Legal Affairs and Compliance.
The General Data Protection Regulation represents a breakthrough at EU level. However, Thomas Kremer sees major ongoing challenges. "Under the impact of terrorist attacks, the willingness to restrict civil liberties in the interests of enhanced security has risen," he says, and calls for caution. "But we have to seek a balance when weighing up our options. We can’t defend our freedom by sacrificing it altogether."
Ready for the digital transformation
Further topics covered in the report (pdf, 6.7 MB) are the suspension of the Safe Harbor agreement with the United States, the new IT Security Act, and the approval of data retention. Alongside internal experts, renowned authors from politics and industry also have their say: Thomas de Maizière German Federal Minister of the Interior, Hans-Georg Maaßen, President of the Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz (Germany's Domestic Intelligence Service), and Věra Jourová, EU Commissioner, for example. The latter welcomed the European General Data Protection Regulation "as a victory for both companies and individuals. With this new, streamlined, modernized procedure, we are ready for a digital revolution in which a booming economy and basic rights go hand in hand."