Introduction
The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) has published its 2024 annual report, underscoring key achievements and strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing data protection across Europe. The report highlights the EDPB’s commitment to safeguarding privacy rights amidst evolving digital challenges and its efforts to ensure the consistent application of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Description
The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) has released its annual report for 2024, highlighting significant milestones such as the adoption of its strategy for 2024–2027 and an increase in the number of opinions issued under Article 64.2 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The EDPB reaffirmed its commitment to protecting individuals’ fundamental rights to privacy and data protection in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
The new strategy outlines priorities for strengthening and modernizing data protection across Europe, ensuring consistent application of the GDPR, and addressing emerging challenges, including cross-border cooperation. The EDPB’s global presence is also emphasized through collaboration with international partners.
In 2024, the EDPB adopted eight opinions under Article 64.2, addressing issues such as consent models used by major online platforms, facial recognition at airports, and the use of personal data for training AI models. These opinions aim to ensure uniformity in the application of data protection laws. The EDPB actively participated in legislative discussions, highlighting data protection considerations and expanding its guidance to assist organizations in achieving compliance with the GDPR.
The EDPB continued to engage with stakeholders to foster dialogue and mutual understanding among supervisory authorities, industry representatives, civil society organizations, and academic institutions. Public consultations were initiated on adopted guidelines, and events were organized related to upcoming guidelines on consent models and AI models.
New digital legislation, including the Digital Markets Act, Digital Services Act, AI Act, Data Governance Act, and Data Act, builds upon the GDPR. The EDPB contributed to cross-border regulatory cooperation to ensure consistent application of these regulations.
Efforts to provide information about the GDPR to a broader audience included making the data protection guide for small businesses available in 18 languages and launching summaries of EDPB guidelines to help non-experts identify key points for consideration.
Conclusion
The EDPB’s 2024 report reflects its proactive approach to addressing the complexities of data protection in a digital age. By setting strategic priorities, engaging with diverse stakeholders, and contributing to legislative processes, the EDPB aims to fortify privacy rights and ensure the GDPR’s robust application. These efforts not only enhance regulatory consistency across Europe but also strengthen global cooperation in data protection.
References
https://www.edpb.europa.eu/news/news/2025/edpb-annual-report-2024-protecting-personal-data-changing-landscape_sv
