Flash Eurobarometer 226 (Data Protection - Data Controllers’ Perceptions)

Attitudes of companies towards data protection issues. Measures of data protection.<br>Topics: assessment of the level of protection of the national Data Protection Law for citizens as sufficient; familiarity with the provisions of the national Data Protection Law; attitude towards selected statements on the requirements of the data protection law: necessary, too strict, only necessary for certain sectors of activity; attitude towards the following statements: sufficient harmonization of the member states’ data protection laws to consider that personal data can be moved freely within the EU, data protection law in the own country is applied more strictly than in other member states; suitability of existing legislation on data protection with regard to the increasing exchange of personal data; use of Privacy Enhancing Technologies in the company; transfer of personal data via the internet; measures taken to enhance security of data transfer; transfer of personal data to countries outside the European Economic Area; type of transferred data; used means of transferring personal data; awareness of the term ´standard contractual clauses´ with regard to personal data transfer to countries outside the European Economic Area; regular contact of the company with national data protection authority; reasons for contact: notifications, asking for guidances, complaints against company, inspections, other reasons; maintenance and update of privacy policy notices by the company; monitoring of the examination of policy notes by the public; approximate number of requests for access to personal data received in 2006; complaints from people whose personal data are being currently processed; preferred actions to improve the implementation of the legal framework on data protection; attitude towards selected measures to fight international terrorism: monitor telephone calls, monitor internet use, monitor credit card use, monitor flight passenger data.

Demography: position of respondent at the company; information about the company (limited to activities in the own country): number of employees, independent or part of national or international group; company sector.

Additionally coded was: respondent ID; language of the interview; date of interview; time of the beginning of the interview; duration of the interview; country; weighting factor.