History of data protection: 1970

Key developments

The first ‘data protection’ law ever is adopted, in the German Land of Hesse: Datenschutzgesetz, of 7 October 1970, § 6, 1 Gesetz- und Verordnungsblatt für das Land Hessen 625. Here is an English translation published in 1972. Here are the minutes of the vote at the Parliament of the Land of Hesse on 30 September 1970.

Also this year

🇺🇸 The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is passed, to promote the accuracy, fairness, and privacy of personal information collected in credit reports, establishing notably a right of access.
In September 1970, the International Commission of Jurists is commissioned by UNESCO a comparative study on the right to privacy.
The 3rd International Conference on the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) is held in Brussels, and devoted to discussing the rights protected under Art. 8 of the ECHR, on the right to respect for private life (from 30 September to 3 October). Proceedings were published and can be accessed via the Internet Archive.
A Workshop on the Data Bank Society takes place in London on the 18 and 19 November 1970 (cf., for the proceedings, Rowe, B. C., (ed.) (1972), Privacy, Computers and You, The National Computing Centre Limited).
At the 48th German Lawyers’ Days in Mainz (22-25 September 1970), a special event on ‘Data processing in law’ takes place, feat. Spiros Simitis.

Watch

📺 The Bill of Rights in action: The right to privacy, 1970, Bernard Wilets. Available here (Internet Archive).

📺 From the BBC Archive (on X), a short interview with Harvey Matusow, then president of the International Society for the Abolition of Data Processing Machines: here.

Literature

Desabie, Jacques (1970), ‘L’Insee entreprend d’automatiser le répertoire des personnes‘, Economie et statistique, 10 (mars), 69-71.
Farhi, Carol (1970), ‘Computers – Data Banks and the Individual: Is the Problem Privacy‘, Israel Law Review, 5(4), 542-558.
Hellman, Jay John (1970), Privacy and information systems: An argument and an implementation, RAND.
Mazirel, Lau (1970, Mensen in de sorteermachine, self-published brochure.

Simitis, Spiros (1970), Informationskrise des Rechts und Datenverarbeitung, C. F. Müller.

Warner, Malcolm and Michael Stone (1970), The Data Bank Society: Organizations, Computers and Social Freedom, George Allen & Unwin.

In the media

‘Bugging’ To Be Studied‘ Press, CX, 32205, 26 January 1970, 17.
‘Right To Privacy Inquiry‘, Press, CIX, 32215, 6 February 1970, 13.
Fosburgh, Lacey, ‘23 to Study Computer ‘Threat’’, The New York Times, 12 March 1970, 38.
‘The Refined Techniques Of Surveillance‘, Press, CX, 32388, 29 August 1970, 4.
‘New Protection of Privacy Bill’, Press, CX, 32411, 25 September 1970, 17.
‘Invasion of privacy by bugging‘, Press, CX, 32413, 26 September 1970, 12.
‘Electronic spying is an invasion of privacy‘, Press, CX, 32413, 28 September 1970, 2.
‘Volkstelling tast privacy niet aan‘, Leidsch Dagblad, 7 December 1970, 6.
‘“Emotional reaction” to medical computer use‘, Press, CX, 32485, 21 December 1970, 2.
‘L’Association pour la défense de la vie privée entend lutter sur tous les fronts‘, Le Monde, 26 December 1970.

Films