The right to protection of personal data: The new posterchild of European Union citizenship?

This chapter argues that the right to data protection is the posterchild of EU citizenship in the digital era. It first provides a brief overview of the gradual construction of the right to personal data protection in the EU. It then identifies the key actors in the process of developing this new right of Union citizens, including those citizens themselves. It then reviews the current legal ‘architecture’ of the right to the protection of personal data and considers whether it could serve as a model for the future development of Union citizenship, notwithstanding remaining challenges at the level of national implementation and public and private compliance with EU rules. Finally, it reflects on the future of the right to data protection, and its contribution to the development of EU citizenship as a legal regime.