Vodafone España, SAU – €120,000 Fine (Spain, 2021)

€120,000Agencia Española de Protección de Datos12 February 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 EUR 120,000 for sending bills to a former customer without a legal basis. The customer had ended their contract but continued to receive emails, despite objecting. This case underscores the need for companies to respect customer consent and data rights.

What happened

Vodafone España sent electronic bills to a former customer without a valid legal basis after contract termination.

Who was affected

A former customer of Vodafone España who continued to receive emails after ending their contract.

What the authority found

The Spanish authority found Vodafone España lacked a valid legal basis for processing the former customer's data, violating data protection rules.

Why this matters

This case serves as a warning to companies about the importance of respecting customer consent and promptly ceasing data processing when a contract ends. It highlights the need for businesses to have robust systems to manage customer data rights.

GDPR Articles Cited

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Full Legal Summary
Detailed

The Spanish DPA (AEPD) imposed a fine of EUR 200,000 on Vodafone España, S.A.U. A former customer had received e-mails containing electronic bills even after he had terminated his contract with the controller resulting in a processing of personal data without sufficient legal basis. The data subject states that he still receives e-mails from the controller, although he has already objected to this several times and the controller has already received a fine twice for exactly these facts. The fine imposed this time is this high because the infringement was classified as very serious by the Spanish DPA. Among other things, because this was already the third violation in this matter. The original fine of EUR 200,000 was reduced for both immediate payment and admission of responsibility to EUR 120,000.

Details

Fine Date

12 February 2021

Authority

Agencia Española de Protección de Datos

Fine Amount

€120,000

Enforcement Tracker ID

ETid-554

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, SAU - Spain (2021). Retrieved from cookiefines.eu

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