Key Concept 4 — The Core Principles

Seven principles that every processing activity must respect.

The names vary from law to law, but the ideas behind them are almost universal. The following workshops turn each principle into concrete measures.

The principles in plain words

  • Lawfulness, fairness and transparency: Have a legal basis, do not mislead people and tell them what you do with their data.
  • Purpose limitation: Collect data for clear purposes and do not reuse it for something incompatible.
  • Data minimisation: Collect only what you really need — no "just in case" fields.
  • Accuracy: Keep data correct and up to date; correct or delete wrong data.
  • Storage limitation: Keep data only as long as needed, then delete or anonymise it.
  • Security: Protect data against loss, theft and unauthorised access with technical and organisational measures.
  • Accountability: Be able to prove compliance: policies, records, assessments and evidence.

Principles as named in your law

Cyprus
  • Lawfulness, fairness and transparency
  • Purpose limitation
  • Data minimisation
  • Accuracy
  • Storage limitation
  • Integrity and confidentiality (security)
  • Accountability