CJEU case C‑371/24 Comdribus – CJEU Judgment (European Union, 2026)
CJEU judgment — not a DPA enforcement action
This is a Court of Justice ruling, not an enforcement action by a data protection authority. It is not included in cookie statistics or the Risk Calculator.
The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled on a case involving a protester who refused to provide biometric data to police. This ruling is significant because it addresses the balance between law enforcement needs and individual privacy rights. It reminds everyone that there are limits to data collection by authorities.
What happened
The court examined whether national laws can require individuals to provide biometric data during investigations.
Who was affected
The individual who was arrested during a climate protest and refused to provide their biometric data.
What the authority found
The Court held that national laws must align with EU directives regarding the processing of biometric data.
Why this matters
This case sets a precedent for how law enforcement can collect personal data and emphasizes the need for clear justifications for such actions. It highlights the ongoing debate about privacy rights in the context of public safety.
In 2020, law enforcement officers arrested several people from a climate protest. One of the individuals detained (the data subject) provided their identity, but refused to be fingerprinted and photographed, as well as to provide the code to their phone (or unlock it themselves). The data subject was later accused before the Paris Criminal Court of unlawfully organising a protest, as well as refusing to provide their data for identification and investigation purposes in accordance with national lawArticle 55-1 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The court found them guilty of not providing their biometric data and fined the data subject €300. Both the data subject and Public Prosecutor appealed the decision to the Paris Court of Appeal. The court requested a preliminary ruling from the CJEU, regarding the compatibility of national law with provisions of the Law Enforcement Directive (LED), taking into consideration previous case lawSee Ministerstvo na vatreshnite raboti (Recording of biometric and genetic data by the police) (C‑205/21, EU:C:2023:49, paragraph 135). Specifically, the court had questions regarding the systematic processing of biometric data of a data subject reasonably suspected of having committed or attempted to commit an offense in the context of an investigation, when the data subject has not necessarily been accused of committing an offense. The court referred the following questions: 1. Does the LED preclude national legislation from systematically processing identification data from data subjects who are suspected of having committed or attempted to commit an offense? 2. Does the LED require national legislation to oblige a competent authority to sufficiently explain why it is strictly necessary to process this data on an individual basis? 3. Does the LED preclude national legislation from allowing data subjects to be prosecuted on the basis of refusing to provide identification data, even if they are not prosecuted for or convicted of the offen
Outcome
CJEU Judgment
A judgment by the Court of Justice of the European Union, typically on a preliminary reference from a national court.
Related Cases (0)
No other cases found for CJEU case C‑371/24 Comdribus in EU
This is the only recorded case for this entity in this jurisdiction.
Details
Judgment Date
19 March 2026
Authority
Court of Justice of the European Union
About this data
Cite as: Cookie Fines. CJEU case C‑371/24 Comdribus - European Union (2026). Retrieved from cookiefines.eu
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