Privacy in Bulgaria ?

Privacy is of great importance for every individual and for every nation in general. Being able to protect your personal data is a human right that should not be disregarded.  In many countries the theft of private information and the public exposure of personal data are considered crimes and might have fatal consequences. There are many laws that protect the private data of the citizens of Bulgaria, such as: Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria (adopted on 13 July 1991), Convention for the Protection of Human rights and Fundamental freedoms (ratified on 31 July 1992),Personal Data Protection Act (came into force on 1st January 2002),Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regards to Automatic Processing of Personal Data (ETS No.108, ratified on 7 June 2002).

The Constitution of the republic of Bulgaria is the most important law. According to Article 32: “(1) The privacy of citizens shall be inviolable. Everyone shall be entitled to protection against any illegal interference in his private or family affairs and against encroachments on his honor, dignity and reputation.(2) No one shall be followed, photographed, filmed, recorded or subjected to any other similar activity without his knowledge or despite his express disapproval, except when such actions are permitted by law.” The Constitution addresses directly the media. The other important document that protects personal information is the Personal Data Protection Act. It “…regulates the protection of natural persons with regard to processing of personal data as well as the access to such data.”