Finland

Legal framework for protecting data and consumers | Legal framework for protecting consumers against spam | Legal framework for distance selling

Legal framework for protecting data and consumers

Regulations

Finnish legislation on data protection is governed by Directive 95/46/EC of the European Union relative to the protection of natural persons concerning the handling of personal data and the free movement of this data.

This directive has been transposed into Finnish law:
Personal Data Act (523/1999)
Finnish Personal Data Act Amendment Act
Finnish data protection in working places Act

Obligation to register a list	Not specified
Authorization to transfer a list	Necessary
Right to access his/her personal data	Yes
Right to rectify his/her personal data	Yes
Right to disclose his/her personal data	Yes
Right to prohibit processing of personal data	Yes

Commissioners

The Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman

The Finnish Data Protection Board

Legal framework for protecting consumers against spam

Regulations

Finland has established specific regulations concerning spam:
Data Protection in Electronic Communications Act (516/2004) .

Other elements relative to spam can be found in the following regulations:
Consumer Protection Act (38 /1978)
Communications Market Act ( 393 /2004)
Direct marketing by automatic telephone calls, e-mail, etc. can only be done if people have given their consent to it.

Commissioners

The Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman

The Finnish Communications Regulatory Authority

Legal framework for distance selling

Regulations

The Finnish distance selling sector is controlled by two European directives:
- Directive 97/7/EC of the European Union of May 20, 1997 concerning consumer protection with regard to distance contracts;
- Directive 2000/31/EC on electronic commerce whose objective is to ensure the free movement of information society services between member States.

The corresponding national law is the provision of information society services Act.

The Finnish Direct Marketing Association also has its member companies sign codes of practice, such as:
- Telemarketing Codes of Conduct 2004 ;
- The Finnish Direct Selling Industry Code of Conduct 2005.
As the Finnish Direct Marketing Association is a member of the European Trade Association representing E-commerce and Mail Order (EMOTA) which represents distance selling in Europe, it applies the European cross-border mail order and distance sales Convention which the members of EMOTA adopted on March 27, 2002.

Obligation to specify the adress to which the consumer can complain	Yes
Obligation to send the written details of the contract	Yes
Language of the contract	Not specified
Time limit for the company to execute the contract	3 months
Time limit for the consumer to withdraw the contract

Commissioners

SSML, the Finnish Direct Marketing Association

ECF, the Electronic Commerce Finland Association (ECF)

EMOTA,the European Trade Association representing E-commerce and Mail Order

FEDMA, the Federation of European Direct and Interactive Marketing

Consumer associations

Tulli, the National Board of Customs

The National Consumer Administration

ECC, the European Consumer Centre Finland

BEUC, the European Consumers' organisation

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Last updates: October 2007 .