Unknown Company – €1,430 Fine (Hungary, 2019)
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 Hungarian company was fined EUR 1,430 for accessing a former employee's email without warning. The company restored the email account a year after the employee left, finding work documents but also private data. This case shows the importance of having clear policies on handling former employees' data.
What happened
A company accessed a former director's email account without notifying him, finding both work and private data.
Who was affected
The former director whose email account was accessed without his knowledge.
What the authority found
The Hungarian authority ruled the company violated GDPR by not informing the former employee about accessing his email and not allowing him to manage his private data.
Why this matters
This case highlights the need for companies to have clear policies on data access and privacy, especially concerning former employees. It underscores the importance of transparency and employee rights in data handling.
GDPR Articles Cited
The employer restored the mailbox of a director who had left the company a year before and found an email containing a work-related document. The director received no warning that his former inbox would be activated and did not have a chance to copy / delete his private data (passwords and financial information). According to NAIH, an employee or a representative should be present when the employee's data is being accessed, even if the employment has been terminated. Employees should be able to request a copy or the deletion of their private data. Employers must record the access with minutes and photos; when the employee cannot be present, then in the presence of independent witnesses. Employers must adopt internal policies on archiving and the use of IT assets and e-mail accounts, including procedural rules such as the steps of an inspection and the officials authorised to carry it out.
Related Enforcement Actions (2)
Other enforcement actions involving Unknown Company in HU
Fine
€1K
Details
Fine Date
11 December 2019
Authority
Nemzeti Adatvédelmi és Információszabadság Hatóság
Fine Amount
€1,430
Enforcement Tracker ID
ETid-157
About this data
Cite as: Cookie Fines. Unknown Company - Hungary (2019). Retrieved from cookiefines.eu
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