How the DSGVO/GDPR changes the rules for scientific research

The recently adopted General Data Protection Regulation DSGVO/GDPR has aroused concerns and doubts in the research community. The Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA) project investigates the challenges of implementing the DSGVO/GDPR and focuses in particular on the implications of the new rights and obligations that the DSGVO/GDPR lays down for scientific researchers as they design and conduct research.

The study examines to what extent DSGVO/GDPR exemptions are appropriate for scientific research, especially concerning securing scientific freedom and technological progress. Further, it provides policy recommendations that delineate a pathway towards enhancing rather than stifling research and facilitating privacy-preserving data-driven research under the provisions of the GDPR. Finally, this project asks whether EU legislation should be revised.