Many organisations, both public and private, hold information about you. This can be as simple as your contact details or may be more detailed information, such as your online browsing history. You may have concerns about privacy, or about the accuracy and the further use of the information by the collecting organisation and any other organisation it decides to share that information with.
Such concerns have led to the development of data protection laws around the world. In the EU, this area is generally governed by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Specific EU laws also deal with matters such as criminal investigations. There are additional laws in each EU member state. In Ireland, these laws include the Data Protection Acts and other regulations.
These data protection laws mean that your personal data should generally only be stored where there is a lawful basis, such as your consent, or where there is a legal obligation.
You have a number of rights under data protection laws, like the right to access the personal data held and the right to have it corrected or erased in certain circumstances.