With the enactment of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in May 2018, the European Union set a milestone in the history of data protection that has earned great international recognition. With the goal of achieving a common high level of data protection, rules for protecting personal information were standardized across the entire European Union for the first time. In an increasingly digitalized world, where in theory every activity can be tracked and personal data generates high financial profits, individuals have limited control over their personal information. This is where the regulation has created a dense network of rights and obligations that gives consumers back power and control over their data.
heyData knows data protection from its daily work with companies. That's why, three years after the introduction of the GDPR, we wanted to use this study to find out how close the European countries have come to each other in terms of data protection levels and to uncover where there is still room for improvement. To do this, we examined the majority of EU member states, Norway, which has also implemented the EU GDPR, and the United Kingdom, where the regulation applied until Brexit.
The study focuses on five overarching categories, which we evaluated across 24 subcategories using data and statistics from renowned sources, including the European Commission and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. A comparison of the EU countries was made possible by a simple mathematical point system. The result is the following data protection ranking, which shows the nations with the actual highest level of data protection — Ireland, Germany, and the Netherlands — at the top.
Europe in Comparison
Enforcement of Laws
- Data protection violations
- Data protection violations in the pandemic year
- Fines
Companies
- Data protection strategy
- Data protection team
- Voluntary training
- Mandatory training
- Data loss
- Data leak
- Insurance coverage
Private Individuals
- Smartphone malware
- Computer malware
- Payment fraud
- Phishing
Data Protection Literacy
- Advertising
- Browser
- Cookies
- Tracking
- Social media
- Apps
- Cloud
Public Sentiment
- Fear of data misuse
- Authority over data
The Winners in the Data Protection Ranking
Enforcement of Laws
Data protection violations, data protection violations in the pandemic year, fines.
Companies
Data protection strategy, data protection team, voluntary training, mandatory training, data loss, data leak, insurance coverage.
Private Individuals
Smartphone malware, computer malware, payment fraud, phishing.
Data Protection Literacy
Advertising, browser, cookies, tracking, social media, apps, cloud.
Public Sentiment
Fear of data misuse, authority over data.
