Although it appeared that 2018 would end without the approval of the long-awaited Organic Data Protection Act, the final text of Organic Act 3/2018, of 5 December, on the Protection of Personal Data and the guarantee of digital rights was finally published in the Official Gazette last December 6, and entered into force, in a hasty manner, the following day.

The controversy about the processing of data by political parties allegedly permitted by this Act has diverted attention from its more relevant practical aspects: the penalty system established therein, the adoption of a charter of digital rights with important consequences in the labor and educational fields, etc.

We dedicate our first Newsletter of 2019 to analyzing practical aspects that the entry into force of the new standard will have for users of data controllers and processors, including a detailed study of the penalty system provided for under Organic Act 3/2018 and of the new authorities and responsibilities assumed by the Spanish Data Protection Agency (“AEPD”).