Arbitrability of Data Protection Disputes: Personal Data, Personalized Justice?

Abstract This article explores the interplay between international arbitration and data subject compensation claims under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The analysis focuses on the validity and enforcement of arbitration agreements and the resulting awards. The article argues that despite potential skepticism, arbitration can offer significant benefits to data subjects, and that compensation claims under the GDPR should be considered arbitrable under the New York Convention and CJEU case law. The article further argues that EU courts have a duty to refer disputes to arbitration, and that the mandatory provisions of EU law have limited means of interfering with this duty. Furthermore, it establishes that the misapplication of GDPR provisions does not automatically justify the denial of arbitral award recognition. The article argues that this is a natural extension of trust traditionally shown to arbitrators, and that such trust should not be easily cast aside.