Skopje, 28 January 2023 (MIA) – Citizens regardless of age should be responsible when publishing or giving their personal data, urged the Agency for Personal Data Protection, noting that the number of abuses is increasing every year.  

European Data Protection Day is celebrated each year on January 28, the date on which the Council of Europe’s data protection convention, known as “Convention 108”, was opened for signature. Personal data protection in the country is also guaranteed by the Constitution, and in February 2020 a new law on personal data protection was adopted. The purpose of the law, in addition to aligning the national legislation with the EU general data protection regulation (GDPR), was to respond to the challenges caused by the increased use of digital tools in the processing of personal data.  

North Macedonia marked European Data Protection Day on Friday, and authorities and EU representatives urged for consistent implementation of the law on personal data protection. The Agency for Personal Data Protection, according to its director Imer Aliu, is also facing a shortage of employees.  

The agency reminded all ministries and institutions that the legal decisions and by-laws they prepare should also be submitted for the agency’s opinion.  

The agency’s senior supervisor Slobodanka Slavkovska told a conference organized on the European Data Protection Day that last year there were several legal decisions that faced negative reactions in the public, regarding which the Agency had not been consulted at all.  

Regarding the violation of the security of personal data, particularly when the rights and freedom of the citizens are threatened, Slavkovska noted that all controllers have a deadline of 72 hours after learning of the violation to notify the agency and in some cases also notify the affected citizens.  

She added that in using new technologies, controllers should be responsible and transparent when processing personal data.  

Citizens and legal entities can report violations or misuse of personal data through the agency’s website, which has recently been developed and upgraded with the help of the EU.