In a recent development, the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) has unveiled a set of guidelines focused on the processing of personal data through blockchain technologies. This effort aims to assist organizations in aligning their blockchain utilizations with the GDPR, given blockchain’s potential for secure data handling and transaction verification.
The EDPB Guidelines provide a comprehensive look at how blockchain systems operate, examining various architectures and their implications for personal data processing. An essential focus is on integrating technical and organizational measures at the earliest stages of design to ensure GDPR compliance.
Key Recommendations:
– Roles and Responsibilities: The guidelines stress the importance of assessing the roles within blockchain-related personal data processing to outline clear responsibilities.
– Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA): Conducting a DPIA is crucial when blockchain processing may pose high risks to individual rights and freedoms. This pre-emptive measure is vital to identify and mitigate potential data protection issues.
– Data Accessibility and Minimization: The guidelines advise against storing personal data on blockchain if it contravenes data protection principles. Emphasis is placed on safeguarding personal information from being accessed by unintended entities and adopting minimization strategies.
– Rights of Individuals: Transparency, rectification, and the erasure of personal data are given heightened importance, ensuring individuals retain control over their data throughout the blockchain processing lifecycle.
The EDPB encourages feedback on these guidelines through a public consultation process, available until June 9, 2025, for stakeholders to provide their insights and recommendations.
Further, the EDPB has affirmed its commitment to a collaborative approach with the AI Office in drafting guidelines that harmonize the AI Act with EU data protection laws. This is part of a broader initiative to ensure emerging technologies adopt robust data protection frameworks that balance innovation with privacy.
For further information, please refer to the original post.
Original source link: [https://www.edpb.europa.eu/news/news/2025/edpb-adopts-guidelines-processing-personal-data-through-blockchains-and-ready_en]