Data protection was once an overlooked area of the law, certainly in the media, sport and entertainment sector. Several years ago, during a high profile media case in the London High Court, a data protection specialist was once famously introduced to the court as "the anaesthetist". Yet as a senior Google executive has memorably described, concern over privacy now runs through business and, in particular, the business of digital media and online content, like a live rail on a train track.

Treading without care can bring a nasty wake-up for those still sleep-walking. Fines and regulatory sanctions as well as potential civil liability under the EU and UK GDPR make data protection compliance a priority for everyone alongside wider privacy law and content regulation. 

The GDPR does include a derogation for journalistic purposes and for academic, artistic and literary expression but local implementing laws vary and these are certainly not a blanket exemption for media, sport and entertainment. 

Accordingly, our 2022 GDPR Fines and Data Breach Survey is very relevant reading for this sector.