The Federal Republic of Germany has some of the world’s most up-to-date and comprehensive data protection legislation. It has helped increase public awareness of the need to protect the individual’s right to privacy.

In 1995 an EU directive on data protection was issued which was decisively influenced by German law. The directive, which is to be implemented in national law by the year 1998, will above all improve the legal position of the individual vis-a-vis private firms. This is imperative in view of the globalization of the economy, growing international connectivity and new technologies (chip cards, video and multimedia, for instance).