Experts: How to move forward with the GDPR
Data privacy experts speaking at an industry event believe the mechanisms in place under the General Data Protection Regulation to ensure compliance, enforcement, and redress need revisiting—and quickly.
European Commission assessing GDPR improvements, not overhaul
Three key members of the European Commission believe the General Data Protection Regulation should be enhanced by targeting aspects of data privacy through other laws rather than revamping the GDPR itself.
GDPR blame game: Who’s at fault for spotty enforcement record?
Regulators and privacy experts speaking at the European Data Protection Supervisor’s conference homed in on the flaws of the General Data Protection Regulation and what improvements need to be made to ensure more consistent enforcement of the law.
Google fine in Spain prompts revisit of GDPR effect on tech
Google’s latest fine for violations of the General Data Protection Regulation reignites the discussion around why Big Tech firms have not been more frequently penalized under the EU’s stringent privacy law.
GDPR enforcement roundup: Spain stays on Vodafone, record fine in Poland
Vodafone running up its fine total in Spain and a record-setting action against a marketing firm in Poland highlight a roundup of notable enforcements announced under the General Data Protection Regulation during the first five months of 2022.
Four years of GDPR: New tech testing data privacy law’s longevity?
It has been four years since the European Union’s flagship data privacy legislation came into force, but concerns are already being raised about whether the General Data Protection Regulation is being outpaced by technological developments and their use of data.
ICO fines Clearview AI $9.4M over alleged data privacy lapses
The U.K. Information Commissioner’s Office fined Clearview AI more than £7.5 million (U.S. $9.4 million) for collecting people’s images from internet and social media sites without their knowledge or consent.
Spanish DPA fines Google $10.6M for GDPR violations
Spain’s data protection authority has issued a record fine of €10 million (U.S. $10.6 million) against Google for two “serious infractions” of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation regarding its sharing information with U.S. legal database Lumen.
Bank of Ireland fined $504K for credit rating data breaches
Bank of Ireland was fined €463,000 (U.S. $504,000) after an investigation by the Irish Data Protection Commission found customer data was accidentally altered in a way that could have damaged credit ratings and prevented getting loans.
Danske Bank fined $1.5M for data processing failures under GDPR
The Danish Data Protection Agency has reported Danske Bank to the police and fined it 10 million Danish kroner (U.S. $1.47 million) over its failure to erase customers’ personal data in its systems in violation of the General Data Protection Regulation.
Experts optimistic, though wary, toward Privacy Shield successor
Legal and data privacy experts have expressed cautious optimism regarding the announcement that the United States and European Union have reached an agreement in principle to resume transatlantic data flows.
Third time’s the charm? Agreement in principle reached on U.S.-EU data flows
The United States and European Union have reached an agreement in principle on how to handle transatlantic data flows, a thorny issue that has resulted in two prior frameworks being scrapped by the EU’s top court.
New ICO head strives for reassurance in first speech
John Edwards, head of the U.K. Information Commissioner’s Office, said he wants to bring greater certainty for companies regarding their data compliance needs, especially if the government’s drive to reduce regulatory burdens results in the EU withdrawing its data adequacy decision.
Momentum building toward Privacy Shield replacement?
Recent comments by EU and U.S. lawmakers and insights from privacy experts suggest a new mechanism to replace the defunct Privacy Shield and ensure safe transatlantic data transfers might soon be introduced.
How EU regulators are warning of Russian data protection threats
Regulators in Norway, Germany, Lithuania, Estonia, Denmark, and Sweden address how companies can prepare for increased data protection and cybersecurity risks in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Meta fined $18.6M under GDPR for 2018 data breaches
The Irish Data Protection Commission fined Meta’s Irish subsidiary 17 million euros (U.S. $18.6 million) for a series of personal data breaches that took place nearly four years ago.
Clearview AI fined $22M in Italy over unlawful data collection
Facial image aggregator Clearview AI was fined €20 million (U.S. $22 million) for unlawfully processing the biometric and geolocation data of Italian citizens in violation of privacy laws including the General Data Protection Regulation.
Amazon transport arm GDPR fine imparts lesson on criminal record checks
Amazon Road Transport was fined €2 million (U.S. $2.2 million) for trying to carry out criminal record checks on freelance truck drivers it wanted to hire without Spanish law to back up the practice.
IAB Europe fighting back against ‘grossly unfair’ GDPR fine
Townsend Feehan, chief executive of the European arm of the Interactive Advertising Bureau, discusses the ramifications of her organization’s €250,000 (then-U.S. $286,000) fine under the General Data Protection Regulation in Belgium.
Telenor caught in GDPR conundrum over Myanmar subsidiary sale
A complaint filed with the Norwegian Data Protection Authority alleges Telenor’s progressing sale of its Myanmar-based subsidiary violates the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation by potentially exposing its customers in the region to military surveillance.
Lawsuit by BitMEX co-founder could test GDPR’s reach over SARs
Ben Delo, co-founder of cryptocurrency exchange BitMEX, filed a complaint against Wise Payments after the company allegedly refused his requests under the General Data Protection Regulation to provide him with personal information it submitted via suspicious activity reports.
Strategies for complying with multiple data privacy regimes
Complying with multiple data privacy regimes is not simple, but it is increasingly becoming expected. A panel at CW’s virtual Cyber Risk & Data Privacy Summit offered their advice regarding the current global privacy landscape.
Why high-growth companies should prioritize data privacy
A group of experts at CW’s virtual Cyber Risk & Data Privacy Summit explained how complying with data privacy regulations from Day 1 can provide high-growth companies with certain competitive advantages.
Transparency key to navigating modern employee monitoring risk landscape
The opening session of Compliance Week’s virtual Cyber Risk & Data Privacy Summit addressed the challenges of using technology to monitor employees while considering regulatory and ethical risks.
How Accor manages global data privacy compliance
Marie-Christine Vittet, vice president of compliance at hospitality chain Accor, shares with Compliance Week the company’s journey toward a global data privacy compliance program.
Cosmote, parent company OTE fined $10.6M under GDPR
The Hellenic Data Protection Authority fined mobile phone operator Cosmote and its parent company OTE a total of €9.25 million (U.S. $10.6 million) for a data breach caused by a September 2020 cyberattack and for illegally processing customer data.
Meta threatens to pull Facebook, Instagram in Europe over GDPR data transfer dispute
Meta Platforms is threatening to pull down Facebook and Instagram in the European Union over concerns it cannot meet data-sharing rules set in the region’s General Data Protection Regulation.
IAB Europe fined $286K under GDPR for data processing violations
The European arm of the Interactive Advertising Bureau was fined €250,000 (U.S. $286,000) by the Belgian Data Protection Authority for data privacy violations regarding its Transparency and Consent Framework.
REWE International $9M GDPR fine a lesson in managing subsidiary risk
A recent decision by the Austrian Data Protection Authority against food retailer REWE International underlines the fact parent companies are ultimately responsible for how their subsidiaries manage people’s data, even if the offshoot entity operates separately.
Italian DPA fines Enel Energia $30.1M under GDPR over telemarketing practices
Italian energy supplier Enel Energia has been fined €26.5 million (U.S. $30.1 million) under the General Data Protection Regulation for aggressive telemarketing.
Report: GDPR fines surpass $1B in 2021; breach notifications also rise
Nearly €1.1 billion (U.S. $1.2 billion) worth of fines have been issued against organizations in the past year for violations of the General Data Protection Regulation, according to the latest annual report by law firm DLA Piper.
Difficult path ahead for new ICO head John Edwards
The United Kingdom’s newly appointed information commissioner, John Edwards, might find it hard to steer a successful path between ensuring citizens’ data rights are preserved while also trying to make U.K. laws more palatable for data-driven business.
France’s CNIL fines Google, Facebook $237M combined over cookies consent
French data privacy watchdog CNIL again sidestepped the GDPR in fining Google and Facebook a combined €210 million (U.S. $237 million) for making it too difficult for users to refuse cookies when accessing their websites.
Dissatisfaction with GDPR pushing EU countries toward local laws
So far, Europe’s wide-reaching data privacy rules have seemingly failed to curb Big Tech firms’ use and abuse of citizens’ personal data. As a result, some EU data regulators are pursuing their own investigations—often through other legislation.
Grindr fined $7.2M for GDPR consent violations
The Norwegian Data Protection Authority announced a fine of NOK 65 million (U.S. $7.2 million) against gay dating app Grindr for sharing personal data with third parties without users’ consent.
Ten things I’d like to see happen in 2022 (2021 in review)
ESG and cryptocurrency figure to be key topics in 2022, but we’re also keeping an eye on President Biden’s anti-corruption efforts, details on Amazon’s record GDPR fine, the status of Facebook’s first CCO, and more.
Dutch DPA fines government tax authority $3.1M under GDPR
The Dutch Data Protection Authority announced a fine of €2.75 million (U.S. $3.1 million) against the government’s Tax and Customs Administration for data processing violations of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation.
Clearview AI facing $22.6M fine over U.K. privacy violations
The U.K. Information Commissioner’s Office has warned Clearview AI it could face a £17 million (U.S. $22.6 million) fine over its use of people’s data to power its facial recognition software.
CWE panel: GDPR ‘the start of a culture of data protection’
Belgian Data Protection Authority head David Stevens and Member of European Parliament Axel Voss discussed ways the General Data Protection Regulation could be improved for the future during a keynote at CW’s virtual Europe event.
U.K. Supreme Court decision on Google deals blow to class actions
Legal experts weigh in on the U.K. Supreme Court’s rejection of a claim that sought billions of pounds in damages from Google over alleged illegal tracking of millions of iPhones and what it means for future collective actions.
IAB Europe expecting to be found in violation of GDPR
The European arm of the Interactive Advertising Bureau released a statement acknowledging it expects to be found in violation of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation regarding its Transparency and Consent Framework.
IAPP report: Privacy spend rising, with further growth expected
Corporate spending on managing privacy risks has risen significantly since last year, with 6 of 10 privacy professionals believing budgets will continue to increase over the coming year, according to the latest IAPP survey.
Global Privacy Assembly takeaways: ‘Time to get real’ on cross-border cooperation
Privacy regulators believe there must be a push toward greater international cooperation and enforcement if failure to ensure data protection is to be taken as seriously as other corporate offenses.
Sky Italia latest fined under GDPR over telemarketing practices
Sky Italia was ordered to pay nearly €3.3 million (U.S. $3.8 million) by Italy’s data protection authority Garante for allegedly misusing customer data to make unwanted promotional phone calls.
GDPR enforcement roundup: Austrian Post facing new record fine
The Austrian Post is once again appealing what would be a record GDPR fine in the country after successfully defending itself in the first instance. Other recent decisions under the law provide further enforcement trends.
‘Soft-hearted’ Irish DPC proposes $42M GDPR fine against Facebook
The Irish Data Protection Commission has set out plans to fine Facebook between €28 million and €36 million (U.S. $32 million and $42 million) for violations of the General Data Protection Regulation.
WhatsApp GDPR fine fallout: EDPB actions shift enforcement landscape
Experts weigh in on the Irish Data Protection Commission’s €225 million (U.S. $267 million) GDPR fine against WhatsApp, which saw the European Data Protection Board rule to increase the fine total and compliance obligations.
Ireland shakes up GDPR enforcement with $267M fine against WhatsApp
Ireland’s Data Protection Commission announced a record-breaking €225 million (U.S. $267 million) fine against WhatsApp that is equally significant for the compliance lessons it imparts and inconsistency of the GDPR it exposes.
U.K. signals divergence from GDPR with new data transfer approach
The United Kingdom announced plans to strike independent data adequacy decisions with key countries—including the United States—as part of its post-Brexit economic strategy.
ICO’s first GDPR fine reduced on appeal
The U.K. Information Commissioner’s Office’s fine against pharmacy Doorstep Dispensaree for violations of the General Data Protection Regulation has been slashed approximately two-thirds on appeal to £92,000 (U.S. $126,000).