The protection of privacy is a human right and therefore a cornerstone of democracy. Not only are our private spaces and messages protected, the right to privacy also means that we can develop our personality freely as long as we do not restrict the rights of others. 

Data protection developed from this idea, especially in view of the rapid development of new digital technologies that produce an ever-increasing amount of data and make it ever easier to process data (Source). 

Historical examples show how authoritarian regimes in particular used data without these technologies to misuse it against the population or individual groups. Homosexuals have been recorded in the so-called "homosexual lists" or "pink lists" since the German Empire. During the Second World War, this led to people being systematically sought out and deported to concentration camps on the basis of these lists.

This topic is becoming increasingly important in the course of digitalisation. With the intensive use of digital devices, we are constantly leaving behind countless data traces. This data can be used to create a very precise profile about us. As early as 2013, it became public that Facebook can determine our sexual orientation, our political preference and whether we have problems with drugs based on just three public likes (Source).

Note

	The protection of personal data is a fundamental part of protecting minorities and vulnerable groups against discrimination.

A single date, such as a date of birth or a particular hobby, does not say much on its own. However, if a lot of this data is collated and combined, extensive profiles can be created about us. These profiles can be used to draw conclusions about our characteristics and actions. This even makes it possible to predict our behaviour and manipulate us in a targeted manner. 

The extent to which this profiling has now taken on became clear in 2018 with the Cambridge Analytica scandal: very large amounts of personal data were used to influence people's political decisions on social media (Source).