Journal №1-2 (2025)
Personal Data Protection in the Activities of Law Enforcement Bodies
∘ Koba Grialashvili ∘

Globalization has introduced new challenges in the field of personal data processing, significantly increasing its overall scale. In this context, it is particularly important to highlight the extensive processing of personal data by law enforcement bodies. In order to fulfil their legally assigned powers, these agencies are authorized to obtain data from both open and covert sources and to process it through various means. Technological advancements have further enabled law enforcement bodies to process personal data on an unprecedented scale. This article will focus on data processing standards, taking into account the specific nature of law enforcement activities. Such processing requires maintaining an appropriate balance between the objectives of protecting public security interests and safeguarding the rights of data subjects.   This paper will examine Directive (EU) 2016/680 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by competent authorities for the purposes of the prevention, investigation, detection, or prosecution of criminal offences, or the execution of criminal penalties, and on the free movement of such data (hereinafter referred to as the LED). The discussion will focus on several key components of the Directive, including its purpose, rationale for adoption, and the data processing principles it establishes. Particular attention will be given to the rights of data subjects — one of the fundamental pillars of personal data protection law — and to the international instruments adopted to ensure their protection and reinforcement.

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