Vodafone España, S.A.U. – €40,000 Fine (Spain, 2021)

€40,000Agencia Española de Protección de Datos23 November 2021Spain
reduced
Fine

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.

Vodafone España was fined for using a person's data without a proper legal reason. A customer complained that phone lines were registered in their name, even though they never signed any contracts. This case highlights the importance of having a valid reason for processing personal data, especially for businesses handling customer information.

What happened

Vodafone España processed a person's data without a valid legal basis after mistakenly assigning their information to another customer's contracts.

Who was affected

The person whose data was incorrectly linked to multiple phone lines registered with Vodafone España.

What the authority found

The Spanish DPA ruled that Vodafone lacked a valid legal basis for processing the individual's personal data, violating GDPR requirements.

Why this matters

This ruling emphasizes that companies must ensure they have a legitimate reason for processing personal data. Businesses should regularly review their data handling practices to avoid similar issues.

GDPR Articles Cited

AI-verified

Art. 6(1) GDPR
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Art. 6(1) GDPR

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Source verified 4 April 2026
national law identified
Full Legal Summary
Detailed

The Spanish DPA (AEPD) has imposed a fine on Vodafone España, S.A.U.. A data subject had filed a complaint with the DPA as the controller had transferred her cell phone line to another person without her consent due to a technical error. In addition, the data subject's account was debited with amounts that belonged to a third party's phone line. The DPA found that Vodafone had unlawfully processed the data subject's data. The original fine of EUR 50,000 was reduced to EUR 40,000 due to voluntary payment.

Related Enforcement Actions (20)

Other enforcement actions involving Vodafone España, S.A.U. in ES

Current
Nov 2021

Fine

€40K

Details

Fine Date

23 November 2021

Authority

Agencia Española de Protección de Datos

Fine Amount

€40,000

Enforcement Tracker ID

ETid-936

About this data

Data: CMS GDPR Enforcement Tracker
Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
AI-verified and classified

Cite as: Cookie Fines. Vodafone España, S.A.U. - Spain (2021). Retrieved from cookiefines.eu

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