Non-profit organisation – €1,000 Fine (Belgium, 2020)
General GDPR enforcement action
This case relates to broader data protection obligations, not specifically to cookie or consent banner compliance. It is not included in cookie statistics or the Risk Calculator.
A Belgian non-profit was fined for sending marketing emails to people who had asked to be removed from their list. They wrongly claimed they had a legitimate reason to keep sending emails. Organizations must respect people's choices to opt out of marketing.
What happened
The non-profit sent marketing messages to individuals who had opted out and requested erasure.
Who was affected
Individuals who had exercised their right to erasure and objection to direct marketing.
What the authority found
The authority ruled that the non-profit's reliance on legitimate interests was not justified, as it ignored individuals' rights to object.
Why this matters
This case underscores the need for organizations to honor opt-out requests and not rely on vague claims of legitimate interest. It serves as a reminder to respect individuals' privacy rights under GDPR.
GDPR Articles Cited
The Belgian data protection authority has imposed a fine of EUR 1000 on a non-profit organisation for sending out direct marketing messages, despite the fact that data subjects had exercised their right to erasure and objection. The organisation claimed that it was relying on legitimate interests as a legal basis and not on the explicit consent of the data subjects. The data protection authority, however, denied the existence of any outweighing of legitimate interests.
Related Enforcement Actions (0)
No other enforcement actions found for Non-profit organisation in BE
This is the only recorded action for this entity in this jurisdiction.
Details
Fine Date
29 May 2020
Authority
Autorité de Protection des Données
Fine Amount
€1,000
Enforcement Tracker ID
ETid-282
About this data
Cite as: Cookie Fines. Non-profit organisation - Belgium (2020). Retrieved from cookiefines.eu
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