Data protection and data security concerns in machine translation

Alongside its many advantages, the use of machine translation services also raises considerable data protection and data security concerns. It is essential to distinguish between data protection and data security in order to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of your data.

Data protection

Data protection refers to the protection of personal data. Its aim is to protect the general personality rights of the natural persons concerned. In the European Union, the main rules are set out in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and, in Germany, in the Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG).

When machine translation services are used, personal data such as names, addresses and contact details, but also medical data, may be processed. Transferring such data to online translation services can be problematic, especially if these services do not comply with data protection rules. A breach of the GDPR can lead to considerable legal consequences and fines.

Data security

Data security, on the other hand, concerns the protection of all data, not just personal data. Its aim is to ensure the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data.

Machine translation services often process confidential company data, including trade secrets, contracts, financial reports, compliance documents and research and development data. This data is often particularly valuable and must not fall into the wrong hands. Security risks include possible cyber attacks, data leaks or unauthorised access to sensitive information. It is therefore crucial that the translation service has robust security protocols such as encryption, secure data transfer and regular security reviews.

Particular challenges

1. Trade secrets: company secrets such as strategic plans, research results or confidential contracts need special protection. Using translation services that store or further process this data can create security gaps if they are not adequately secured.
2. Personal data: processing personal information through machine translation services can put data protection at risk if it is not ensured that this data is handled securely and in line with legal requirements.
3. Medical data: medical documents are particularly sensitive and subject to strict data protection rules such as HIPAA or the GDPR. Translating such data requires particularly strict security measures to protect the confidentiality of patient information.

Measures to minimise risks

To minimise both data protection and data security risks, the following measures should be considered:

• Use secure platforms: choose translation services that implement comprehensive security protocols and meet the requirements of the GDPR and specific security standards.
• Anonymise data: where possible, anonymise or pseudonymise sensitive data before sending it.
• Contracts and data processing agreements: conclude contracts and data protection agreements with service providers to make sure your data is treated confidentially and not passed on without authorisation.
• Trustworthy resources: for particularly confidential information, it can make sense to use translation services that take strict security and data protection precautions.

Questions? Talk to us.
Our team at Global Mundi is always available to answer your questions and help you plan and carry out your translation projects.