- Enforcing jurisdiction
- France · Geography does not establish applicable law.
- Confirmed applicable legislation
- Privacy topics
Ministry of Interior – Violation Found (France, 2021)
Privacy enforcement record
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The French data protection authority found that the Ministry of Interior used drones to monitor people during the COVID-19 lockdown without proper legal justification. This matters because it raises concerns about privacy and how government agencies can use technology to surveil citizens.
What happened
The Ministry of Interior used drones equipped with cameras to monitor compliance with COVID-19 lockdown measures.
Who was affected
People in France who were monitored by the drones during the lockdown.
What the authority found
The authority concluded that the Ministry did not have a valid legal basis for processing personal data, violating data protection rules.
Why this matters
This finding highlights the need for government agencies to follow strict privacy laws when using surveillance technology. It serves as a reminder for all organizations to ensure they have proper legal grounds for any data collection.
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During March 2020 , the press reported the use of drones equipped with cameras by the police forces in several places, in order to monitor compliance with COVID-19 lockdown measures. The French DPA questionned the Ministry of the Interior on the subject. In absence of reply, the DPA initated an inquiry. The Ministry was summoned to answer a questionnaire. It stated that the drones had also been used for other purposes : scouting an area before an arrest, surveillance of a drug traficking, of demonstrations and road transport. An on-site control then established that the camera used were efficient enough to allow for facial identification of individuals. In this context, the report concluded to several violations of data protection law and proposed a sanction. The Ministry's main line of defence was that, since August 2020, a face-blurring program has been implemented. As a result, data were allegedly anonimized, and data protection regulation not applicable. Is the recording of images by drones equipped with cameras a personal personal data in the sense of Article 4 GDPR ? Did the Ministry of Interior comply with the [https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/id/JORFTEXT000000886460/2021-01-19/ French Data Protection Act] implementing [https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32016L0680 Directive (EU) 2016/680] ? The DPA issues a public call to order against the Ministry of the Interior, on the following grounds. On the processing of personal data The DPA reminds the broad definitions of processing and personal data laid down by Article 4(1) and (2) GDPR. The DPA then quotes [https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A62013CJ0212 ECJ, 11 December 2014, Ryneš, case C-212/13] (point 22), [https://edpb.europa.eu/our-work-tools/our-documents/guidelines/guidelines-32019-processing-personal-data-through-video_en EDPB Guidelines 3/2019 on processing of personal data through video devices], a [https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/ceta/id/CETAT
Outcome
Violation Found
The DPA found a violation but did not impose a fine.
Related Enforcement Actions (0)
No other enforcement actions found for Ministry of Interior in FR
This is the only recorded action for this entity in this jurisdiction.
Details
Decision Date
12 January 2021
Authority
Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés
About this data
Cite as: Cookie Fines. Ministry of Interior - France (2021). Retrieved from cookiefines.eu
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