- Enforcing jurisdiction
- Estonia · Geography does not establish applicable law.
- Confirmed applicable legislation
- Privacy topics
Delfi Meedia AS – Complaint Upheld (Estonia, 2025)
Privacy enforcement record
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Delfi Meedia AS was ordered by the Estonian Data Protection Authority to remove a person's name and photo from news articles. The individual argued that the articles harmed his and his family's well-being. This case highlights the importance of respecting people's requests for data erasure under privacy laws.
What happened
Delfi Meedia AS refused to erase a person's name and photo from news articles despite a legal request.
Who was affected
The individual whose name and photo were included in the news articles, along with his family.
What the authority found
The authority ruled that Delfi Meedia AS must comply with the request for data erasure, as the articles caused excessive harm.
Why this matters
This decision emphasizes that media companies must take data erasure requests seriously. It serves as a reminder for all businesses to have clear processes for handling such requests.
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Source checks
Secondary-source text retrieved.
Automated check recorded — 21 March 2026.
No issues were reported by that automated check.
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An individual (the data subject) filed a complaint with the Estonian DPA (AKI) after failing to receive a response from a media publisher (the controller) to his request for data erasure under Article 17 GDPR. The data subject requested the controller to remove his name and photo from news articles arguing that the processing of his personal data affected his and his family’s livelihood and well-being. The DPA made the same request to the controller. The controller proposed an alternative solution, namely de-indexing the articles. However, the data subject rejected the controller’s solution. Therefore, the DPA re-submitted the request for data erasure. The controller once again refused to comply with the erasure request and de-indexed the articles. The DPA found that the news articles in question caused excessive harm to the data subject. Furthermore, the DPA noted that there was diminished public interest in the information contained in the news articles. Therefore, the DPA ordered the controller to remove the image of the data subject and to replace his name with initials in specific articles in line with Article 17 GDPR. Failing to do so, the DPA may impose a penalty payment of €200 repeatedly and for each violation until the controller complies with the order.
Outcome
Complaint Upheld
A data subject complaint that was upheld by the DPA.
Related Enforcement Actions (0)
No other enforcement actions found for Delfi Meedia AS in EE
This is the only recorded action for this entity in this jurisdiction.
Details
About this data
Cite as: Cookie Fines. Delfi Meedia AS - Estonia (2025). Retrieved from cookiefines.eu
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