Public Archives and Data Protection

Public archives play an important role in our society by identifying, assessing and preserving documentary material of long-term value, ensuring accountability of government and other organizations. Privacy and data protection are most important reasons to limit access to these archives. Many documents in public archives contain sensitive information about individuals, making data protection a primary concern that limits access to recent archive holdings. This creates a confict between the need for transparency and accountability and legal obligations to protect personal data. There are still uncertainties regarding the practical implementation of the GDPR on the ground. In this article we explore the perspectives of diferent interest groups and discuss how an appropriate balanceof rights and interests can be realized.