Government of Georgia government.gov.ge |
Mamuka Bakhtadze: We continue intensive and targeted reforms to bring Georgia in line with the EU norms and standards, including in the field of privacy and data protection
2019-05-09 It is of utmost importance to maintain high standards of personal data protection as Georgia continues on its path of European integration, Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze stated at the opening ceremony of the 29th Conference of European Data Protection Authorities. It is for the first time, however, that we are hosting such important gathering on personal data protection. This is especially important as later in November Georgia takes over the Chairmanship of Council of Europe, therefore will be leading the efforts of bettering the protection of human rights and freedoms, including the right to privacy and personal data protection, vis-à-vis technological innovation and digitalization of our everyday lives. We live in the era of rapid rise of big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. Our challenge today still remains to find ways to ensure that innovation and privacy go hand in hand. Our coordinated efforts are crucial for creating an international system, which will be based on shared principles and ethics, to enable us benefit from the power of data through its responsible use." Mamuka Bakhtadze emphasized. Georgia is making steady progress in implementing the Association Agreement with the EU that involves strengthening national mechanisms and reaching specific benchmarks for harmonized privacy and data protection. We adopted the law on personal data protection in 2011. Since 2013, we have an independent data protection authority - the Personal Data Protection Inspector responsible for supervising the implementation of data protection legislation. The EU and international donors are supporting institutions and mechanisms for personal data protection in Georgia as part of their human rights program. Our Government is fully committed to encouraging this process. As you might be informed, Georgia was one of the pioneers in the introduction of Blockchain technologies in the Public Sector, which itself is a clear example how innovation driven we are, but meanwhile we still lay utmost importance on security and privacy," the Prime Minister emphasized. Prime Minister's Press Office
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