DPA case 10/2019 – Complaint Upheld (Belgium, 2019)
General GDPR enforcement action
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A political campaigner in Belgium complained that his opponent used public data for a campaign, including his personal information. The data protection authority found that the opponent had no valid reason to use this data, which is important because it shows that personal data must be handled carefully, even in politics.
What happened
The data protection authority ruled that a political opponent used personal data without a legitimate purpose.
Who was affected
The complainant, a political campaigner, had his personal data used without consent.
What the authority found
The authority decided that the opponent violated GDPR rules by processing personal data without a valid legal basis.
Why this matters
This case highlights that even political figures must respect privacy laws. It serves as a reminder for all organizations to ensure they have a valid reason for using personal data.
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The complainant was running a political campaign for a city election in October 2018. He submitted a complaint before the DPA because he argued that his political opponent (the mayor) used public data for the purpose of his political campaign. This database included the collection of the complainant’s personal data. Is the GDPR applying in a context of personal data processed for political purposes? Is the data collection legal? First, the DPA found that the GDPR should apply to the controller of the processing at issue. Secondly, that there was no legitimate purpose for the further processing of the personal data which were initially stored in the City’s records. Therefore, the DPA found that the controller violated Articles 5(1)(b) and (e) and 6(4) GDPR. A fine of € 5,000 was issued.
Outcome
Complaint Upheld
A data subject complaint that was upheld by the DPA.
Related Enforcement Actions (0)
No other enforcement actions found for DPA case 10/2019 in BE
This is the only recorded action for this entity in this jurisdiction.
Details
About this data
Cite as: Cookie Fines. DPA case 10/2019 - Belgium (2019). Retrieved from cookiefines.eu
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