- Enforcing jurisdiction
- Germany · Geography does not establish applicable law.
- Confirmed applicable legislation
- Privacy topics
Food company – €100,000 Fine (Germany, 2019)
Privacy enforcement record
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A food company in Germany was fined for not protecting job applicants' data on its website. They failed to encrypt the data, making it accessible through Google searches. This case highlights the importance of securing personal information online to prevent unauthorized access.
What happened
The food company did not encrypt applicant data on its website, allowing it to be found on Google.
Who was affected
Job applicants who submitted their application documents through the company's unsecured portal were affected.
What the authority found
The authority found that the company violated GDPR by not ensuring adequate security for personal data.
Why this matters
This ruling emphasizes that companies must take data security seriously to protect personal information. Other businesses should review their data protection practices to avoid similar penalties.
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Automated check recorded — 10 March 2026.
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The company had set up an applicant portal on its website where interested parties could submit their application documents online. However, the company did not offer an encrypted transmission of the data, nor did it store the applicant data in an encrypted or password-protected manner. In addition, the unsecured applicant data was linked to Google, so that anyone searching for the respective applicant names on Google could find their application documents and retrieve them without access restrictions.
Related Enforcement Actions (0)
No other enforcement actions found for Food company in DE
This is the only recorded action for this entity in this jurisdiction.
Details
Fine Date
24 October 2019
Authority
Bundesbeauftragter für den Datenschutz
Fine Amount
€100,000
About this data
Cite as: Cookie Fines. Food company - Germany (2019). Retrieved from cookiefines.eu
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