Study on data collection and storage in the EU

Given the clear contrast between the importance of the privacy by design principle on the one hand, and the reality of lax data protection practices with many online service providers on the other hand, the aim of this study is to present an analysis of the relevant legal framework of European Member States on the principles of minimal disclosure and the minimum duration of the storage of personal data. The study is not intended to go too deep into the details of the legal complexities of the data protection legislation. It rather focuses on a limited number of relevant use cases and tries to find out how the aforementioned principles are expressed in concrete legal or regulatory provisions applicable to these cases, and how they are observed in practice.