Freelancer – €16,000 Fine (Germany, 2024)
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.
A freelancer in Germany was fined EUR 16,000 for not having a privacy policy on his website. This is important because it shows that all websites must clearly inform visitors about how their data is used.
What happened
The freelancer operated a website without a required privacy policy.
Who was affected
Visitors to the freelancer's website who were not informed about data usage due to the lack of a privacy policy.
What the authority found
The authority imposed a fine after the freelancer ignored multiple orders to include a privacy policy on his website.
Why this matters
This ruling emphasizes that website operators must have a privacy policy to inform users about data handling. Ignoring such requirements can lead to significant fines.
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Automated check recorded — 13 March 2026.
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The DPA of Hessen has imposed a fine of EUR 16,000 on a freelancer. The controller operates a website without a privacy policy. The DPA contacted the controller, ordering him to include a privacy policy on his website, and announced that he would be fined EUR 2,000 if he did not comply. The controller ignored the order, resulting in the DPA ordering him a second and third time to include a privacy policy on his website. The controller continued to ignore the DPA's orders. Therefore, the DPA imposed a total fine of EUR 16,000. This fine consists of EUR 10,000 for ignoring the DPA's orders and EUR 2,000 for each of the three ignored orders to include a privacy policy on the controller's website.
Related Enforcement Actions (0)
No other enforcement actions found for Freelancer in DE
This is the only recorded action for this entity in this jurisdiction.
Details
Fine Date
1 January 2024
Authority
Bundesbeauftragter für den Datenschutz
Fine Amount
€16,000
About this data
Cite as: Cookie Fines. Freelancer - Germany (2024). Retrieved from cookiefines.eu
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