This handbook deals with the issues of personal data privacy from an international perspective. Although the concept of personal data protection began in Europe in the early 1970s, data protection legislation has been adopted throughout the world in countries such as Australia, Canada, the US and Japan. In Europe there is a wide divergence of policies between members of the EEC, non-EEC members and the new democracies of Eastern Europe. This volume explains these differences, focusing on the abuses of personal data in the developing nations of Latin America, Asia and Africa. The book also includes copies of national and international laws, initiatives and guidelines on personal data protection.