In a recording prepared for the Centre for Information Policy Leadership at Hunton & Williams LLP’s (“Centre’s”) annual retreat, former UK Information Commissioner and Centre Global Strategy Advisor Richard Thomas discussed some of the challenges facing Big Data with respect to the purpose limitation principle set out in Article 6(1)(b) of the current EU Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC. In April 2013, the Article 29 Working Party adopted an Opinion on this topic, focusing on how to apply the purpose limitation principle in the Big Data context. Richard Thomas discussed the importance of the purpose limitation principle in Europe and how EU regulators have approached the issues. Richard also reviewed central elements of the Working Party’s Opinion, including purpose and specification, compatibility and risks associated with Big Data.
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