Breach Notification in the General Data Protection Regulation

The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) introduced new standards for data breach notification. Articles 33 and 34 of the Regulation require that in the event of a data breach, the supervisory authority and data subjects must be informed. This paper discusses the European legal framework for data breach notification and its implications for organizations, data subjects, and supervisory authorities. By analyzing the main provisions, deadlines, and requirements of the Regulation, it examines the problems and possibilities of the data breach notification system provided for in the Regulation. It highlights the transformative impact of the breach notification provisions on data security, privacy, and liability. By examining breaches from the perspectives of legal obligations, organizational responsibilities, and individual and user rights, we aim to shed light on the complex dimensions of this critical element of data protection and its profound impact on data protection practices in the digital age. Ultimately, this study serves as a benchmark for the GDPR’s breach notification provisions with the US California Consumer Protection Act and the Canadian Privacy and Electronic Documents Act. As technology continues to evolve with artificial intelligence, big data, blockchains, and the Internet of Things, new security gaps and data processing methods will emerge that will set new standards for data breach notification.