Supervisory authorities

On 8 October 2020, the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) published new guidelines on relevant and reasoned objection under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The guidelines cover the cooperation and consistency provisions set out in Chapter VII of the GDPR, under which supervisory authorities have a duty to exchange all relevant information with each other and cooperate in an endeavor to reach consensus when they coordinate investigations that cross borders in the European Union (EU).

 Background

Under Article 60 of the GDPR, the lead supervisory authority (LSA) is required to submit draft decisions to the concerned supervisory authorities, who may then raise a “relevant and reasoned objection” to the LSA within a specific timeframe of four weeks. On review of the relevant and reasoned objection, the LSA can either follow the suggestions of the concerned supervisory authorities and produce a revised draft decision, or disagree with the objections and submit the matter to the EDPB for consideration under the GDPR’s consistency mechanism.
Continue Reading EDPB releases guidelines on relevant and reasoned objection

On 26 May 2020, the German Data Protection Authorities (German DPAs) issued guidelines on measures to protect personal data transferred via email (Guidelines; available in Germen here). The Guidelines outline requirements for procedures to send and receive emails that must be met by data controllers, data processors and public email service providers (Email Service Providers) to comply with Art. 5(1)(f), 25 and 32(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Sending emails containing personal data

Data controllers and processors must implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure a level of security appropriate to the risk of the data processing, taking into account the state of the art, the costs of implementation and the nature, scope, context and purposes of processing as well as the risk of varying likelihood and severity for the rights and freedoms of the data subjects concerned.
Continue Reading Encryption of emails containing personal data – the German supervisory authorities issue guidance

The German Data Protection Authorities (German DPAs) released a “Report on the Experience Gained in the Implementation of the GDPR”, which was adopted at their conference on November 6, 2019 (Report; available in German here and English here). In this blog, we summarize the key issues that the German DPAs have raised in the Report.

Background

Under Article 97 of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the EU Commission is required to submit an evaluation and review report on the implementation of the GDPR by May 25, 2020 – so two years after the GDPR became applicable. The German DPAs want to share their experience to contribute to this process and have thus published the Report. The German DPAs opine that the GDPR’s regulatory concept and objectives have largely proved successful and that the heavy GDPR fines are a driver for developing broad-based awareness of data protection. However, they also acknowledge that some uncertainty remains when it comes to GDPR implementation and that there still is a need for guidance from the supervisory authorities.Continue Reading Evaluation of the GDPR – The German supervisory authorities weigh in

After a month of rumors, uncertainty, and German data protection authorities being nontransparent, the German conference of data protection authorities (Datenschutzkonferenz, DSK) published the concept for calculating administrative fines for data protection violations (Concept, available here) on October 16, 2019.

The Concept sets out a standardized approach regarding the calculation of administrative fines in accordance with article 83(4) and (5) of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and also takes into account the circumstances of the individual case as described in article 83(2) GDPR. The Concept provides a uniform determination of administrative fines under GDPR without losing the flexibility to consider the individual case and situation of the violating person or organization (Violating Entity).

The Concept is not binding on courts, non-German authorities, or the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) and shall only be used for violations in Germany that are not cross-border cases. The Concept shall only be used until the EDPB has issued its own guidelines for the determination of fines under article 83 GDPR. In addition, the Concept shall not be used for fining associations or natural person outside of their economic activity.

In this blog, we explain the five-step procedure that the DSK applies in the calculation:Continue Reading Calculation of administrative fines under GDPR – standardized concept published in Germany

After another statement by the German Data Protection Authorities (German DPAs) of 5 September 2018 (Statement, available in English here), stating that the operation of a fan page as offered by Facebook was illegal, Facebook reacted “overnight” and released a co-controller agreement, the “Page Insights Controller Addendum” (Insights Addendum, available here). In a press release of 16 November 2018 (Press Release, available in German here), the Berlin Data Protection Authority (Berlin DPA) announced that it has been auditing organisations concerning the use of Facebook fan pages since early November. In this blog, we provide recommendations as to what organisations should do next.

Background

On 5 June 2018, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) handed down its judgment (Case C-210/16), holding that the operator of a fan page on Facebook is jointly responsible with Facebook for processing the data of visitors to the fan page. Only a day later, the German DPAs released their first statement on the consequences of the judgment, arguing that organisations do not meet data protection standards when operating a fan page on Facebook, leaving marketers in Germany and Europe with lots of uncertainty (for more background, please review our previous blog How big is the risk to operate Facebook fan pages in Germany?). Three months then passed without Facebook providing any solution to the operators of fan pages.Continue Reading Update on Facebook fan pages: What should organisations do after the release of Facebook’s co-controller agreement?