Using the signing of the "Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data" 30 years ago, Deutsche Welle examines France's long tradition of privacy and data protection. Describing France as one of the first EU countries to enact privacy law, the report highlights the Data Protection and Liberties Act, prohibiting the processing of sensitive data such as race, ethnicity, politics or religious affiliation. The report also reflects on nineteenth-century origins of the right to a private life in France. Paris II University Prof. Emmanuel Derieux suggests this commitment may stem from "a sensitivity or sensibility. French people worried about the protection of their private life and their independence."
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