The Protection of Athlete Data Rights in the Context of an Anti-Doping Governance System

The promulgation of the Olympic Agenda 2020+5 demonstrates the increased focus on digital reform and strengthening the protection of athletes' rights. Anti-doping governance is heavily dependent on the processing and using of athletes' personal data by relevant organizations. Athletes have data rights such as the right to informed concent, the privacy right, the right to object to processing, and the right to be forgotten. However, in practice, the realization of the rights has encountered difficulties due to the needs of anti-doping governance. Whether it is to comply with the requirements of international anti-doping rules or to meet the practical needs of building a strong sports nation in China, it is of great significance to explore the protection of athletes' data rights under the anti-doping governance system. While anti-doping measures have a legitimate base for the processing of athletes' data in compliance with granting rules and contractual terms, there remains a need to enhance the path of protection of athlete data rights in the anti-doping governance system. Therefore, it is necessary to balance the power of anti-doping organizations and the data rights of athletes, to clarify the nature of athlete data rights and the scope of data collection in anti-doping governance, and to set up a perfect regulatory and relief mechanism in order to realize the protection of athletes' data rights under the anti-doping governance system.