Data Protection and the Use of Email Addresses Provided by Yahoo or Google
In recent decades, Yahoo and Google have become some of the largest providers of email addresses in Europe and beyond. Romania is no exception to this rule, with addresses ending in @yahoo.com or @gmail.com being used for both personal and especially for professional and/or commercial activities.
In general, email accounts are provided at no cost to users. With the entry into force of Regulation 679/27-Apr-2016 regarding the protection of individuals concerning the processing of personal data, the legitimate question arises as to whether using an email account is related to data protection.
The answer can only be affirmative, as through the use of an email account, whether paid or free, a series of personal data can be processed. Let’s take a single example: receiving a simple email that contains personal data represents data processing; viewing the content of an email represents a second data processing, and keeping the same email in the inbox represents a third processing. Each and all of these processes fall under the regulation of Regulation 679/27-Apr-2016.
In light of this circumstance, to clarify certain aspects regarding the use of free email accounts under the conditions imposed by data protection legislation, we have prepared an informative material. The article is published on the platform www.juridice.ro, one of the most prestigious legal information publications in Romania.
