ADHEOS – Court Ruling (France, 2021)
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A French court ruled against the use of a police app that collected sensitive personal data without proper safeguards. This is important because it highlights the need for privacy protections when handling sensitive information. Companies should be cautious about how they collect and process personal data, especially in sensitive contexts.
What happened
The French Highest Administrative Court found that the 'GendNotes' app unlawfully processed special category personal data.
Who was affected
Individuals whose sensitive personal data could be collected by the French police's 'GendNotes' app.
What the authority found
The court held that the decree authorizing the app infringed on privacy rights and did not comply with data protection laws.
Why this matters
This decision sets a precedent for stricter scrutiny of how government agencies collect and process sensitive data. Organizations should ensure they have strong privacy measures in place.
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Automated check recorded — 11 April 2026.
Processing notes: articles corrected, national law identified, authority corrected.
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In February 2020 the French minister of the interior enacted the [https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/id/JORFTEXT000041615919/ Decree No. 2020-151 of 20 February 2020 authorising the automated processing of personal data known as "mobile note-taking application"] (Décret n° 2020-151 du 20 février 2020 portant autorisation d'un traitement automatisé de données à caractère personnel dénommé «application mobile de prise de notes» (GendNotes)). The app should be used on the occasion of preventive actions, investigations or interventions necessary for the exercise of judicial or administrative police missions. Among the data that can be collected is information relating to alleged racial or ethnic origin, political, philosophical or religious opinions, trade union membership, health or sexual activities or orientation. A group of human rights organisations filed a complaint with the French Constitutional Court. Is the "GendNotes" App of the French national police force (Gendarmerie nationale) unlawfully processing special category personal data? The French Highest Administrative Court held that the decree infringed Article 4 of the [https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/id/JORFTEXT000000886460/ Law of 6 January 1978], implementing GDPR in France, the Council of Europe Convention No. 108 for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data and Article 8 CFR, as it excessively infringed upon the right to respect for private life and the correlative right to protection of personal data, without providing appropriate safeguards for their protection in terms of the purpose of the processing and the nature of the data collected, as well as excessive data retention period, data sharing and data security. The Court discussed whether the decree violated Article 4 (a) GDPR, Article 4 (b) GDPR, Article 4 (c) GDPR, and Article 4 (e) GDPR and Article 9 GDPR. According to the Court, the processing of data did not comply with the principle of purp
Outcome
Court Ruling
A ruling by a national court on a data-protection matter.
Related Cases (0)
No other cases found for ADHEOS in FR
This is the only recorded case for this entity in this jurisdiction.
Details
About this data
Cite as: Cookie Fines. ADHEOS - France (2021). Retrieved from cookiefines.eu
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