When planning a holiday abroad, many of us focus on packing suitcases and booking tickets, often forgetting to adjust our mobile devices to the new environment. Properly preparing phones and tablets not only enables the use of telecommunication services, but also protects our personal data.
First and foremost, it's worth updating your roaming settings. European Union regulations ensure that using roaming in EU countries does not incur additional costs beyond the standard subscription (Source: European Commission, 2023). However, if travelling outside the EU, it is advisable to check with your operator what charges apply in the destination countries to avoid surprising bills.
It's also a good practice to install a VPN app on your device to secure your connection on public Wi-Fi networks (Source: UODO, user guide 2023). As experts point out, using unsecured networks can expose us to data theft, and a VPN helps minimise this risk (Source: NCSC UK, 2023).
The next step is to reconsider the location settings of devices. It's worth considering which apps actually require access to your location and disabling those that are not necessary. This action not only saves battery life but also protects privacy (Source: European Commission, Digital Education Action Plan).
Travelling also involves adapting to local data protection regulations, which can vary depending on the country. Therefore, it is recommended to familiarise yourself with local practices and data protection laws. In some countries, these rules may be more stringent than in the European Union, so it is worth checking this in advance (Source: International Trade Administration, 2023).
If you need help with matters related to data protection abroad, it is advisable to consult an expert or a privacy protection institution, such as the Data Protection Centre in your country.