Police department – Fine (Germany, 2021)
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 police officer in Germany shared details of a drunk driving incident with the offender's mother without permission. This is important because it shows that even well-intentioned actions can breach privacy laws. Businesses should be cautious about sharing personal data, even with good intentions.
What happened
A police officer disclosed personal data about a drunk driving incident to the offender's mother without authorization.
Who was affected
The individual involved in the drunk driving incident whose details were shared without consent.
What the authority found
The data protection authority ruled that the officer violated privacy laws by sharing information with an unauthorized person.
Why this matters
This case highlights that personal data should only be shared with authorized individuals, regardless of the perceived benefits. Organizations should train employees on privacy laws to prevent unauthorized disclosures.
A police officer had unlawfully disclosed personal data of a drunk driving incident to the offender's mother during a chance encounter. He thought that the mother, as his employer, could prevent a repeat offense by withdrawing the offender's car. However, the mother constitutes an unauthorized third party, meaning that the police officer was not allowed to disclose the information. For this reason, the DPA of Brandenburg imposed a fine for a violation of § 32 (1) BbgDSG. The Brandenburg Data Protection Act (BbgDSG) sets out the supplementary regulations necessary to adapt the GDPR.
Related Enforcement Actions (0)
No other enforcement actions found for Police department in DE
This is the only recorded action for this entity in this jurisdiction.
Details
Fine Date
1 January 2021
Authority
Bundesbeauftragter für den Datenschutz
Enforcement Tracker ID
ETid-1280
About this data
Cite as: Cookie Fines. Police department - Germany (2021). Retrieved from cookiefines.eu
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