This directive requires member countries of the European Union (EU) to adopt laws that protect personal information, and to disclose who is collecting the data and why, and who will ultimately have access to it. The directive also gives the person the right to access the data and make corrections to it.

Countries affected by these regulations include Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.