- Enforcing jurisdiction
- Germany · Geography does not establish applicable law.
- Confirmed applicable legislation
- No confirmed legal basis recorded.
- Privacy topics
Private individual – €500 Fine (Germany, 2021)
Privacy enforcement record
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A private individual in Germany was fined for sending sensitive employee data to her personal email. The data protection authority found that this action was unnecessary and violated privacy rules. This case serves as a warning about the risks of mishandling personal data.
What happened
An employee sent an Excel file containing personal data of 56 colleagues to her private email without a valid reason.
Who was affected
The 56 employees whose personal data was included in the spreadsheet.
What the authority found
The authority ruled that the employee unlawfully transferred personal data by sending it to her private email.
Why this matters
This case underscores the importance of handling employee data securely. Businesses should train employees on data protection to prevent similar incidents.
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The DPA from Brandenburg imposed a three-digit fine on a company employee. The individual had sent an Excel spreadsheet with employee data of 56 employees to her private e-mail address from her official computer, although this was not necessary for her official activities. For this reason, the DPA determined that the employee had unlawfully transferred the other employees' data. The spreadsheet included, in addition to the full names of the employees, an overview of vacation days already taken and remaining, sick days accrued, wage data, overtime worked and social security contributions.
Related Enforcement Actions (10)
Other enforcement actions involving Private individual in DE
Fine
€500
Details
Fine Date
1 January 2021
Authority
Bundesbeauftragter für den Datenschutz
Fine Amount
€500
About this data
Cite as: Cookie Fines. Private individual - Germany (2021). Retrieved from cookiefines.eu
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