The Infinite Brief

Until now, each of the EU countries had its own data protection laws, some offering individuals more security than others. The new law, called the General Data Protection Regulation, harmonizes regulations throughout the EU.

The new law will compel researchers to work differently. It will modify the way researchers design studies, enroll participants and obtain consent, and how they collect, share and store data.

It requires researchers to consider data-protection protocols, termed ‘privacy by design,’ during the design and inception of their studies.

These increased protections on privacy have the potential to make research projects involving data sharing and collaborative work less efficient, more expensive and more complex.