Impact of the EU General Data Protection Regulation on the public sector

This paper considers the consequences of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for public administration. It is observed that the private and public sector in many ways are treated differently. The starting point for data processing in public administration is that it should have authority in statutory law and use of consent is viewed with much caution. There are increased responsibilities related to the goal of transparency with respect to information to data subjects and also in respect to documentation of processing procedures. Data security requirements are also increased. Although the GDPR first comes into effect in May 2018, authorities should prepare for it now.