The European Union Data Protection Directive focuses on what aspect of privacy?

The European Union Data Protection Directive primarily focuses on personal data collection, outlining the framework for how personal data should be handled, protected, and processed. It emphasizes the importance of obtaining consent from individuals before their data is collected and highlights the accountability of organizations that manage personal information. This directive aims to ensure that individuals have control over their personal data and that their privacy rights are respected across all member states.

The other options, while potentially relevant in broader discussions of privacy and regulations, do not encapsulate the core focus of the Data Protection Directive. Consumer rights may intersect with data protection, but the directive is fundamentally centered on the management and safeguarding of personal data specifically. Intellectual property and environmental impact, while important in their own right, do not directly pertain to the motivations and stipulations of the Data Protection Directive regarding personal data.