Data protection supervisor imposes 550,000 euros in fines

Last year, the Berlin data protection authority imposed fines totalling EUR 549,410 following corresponding breaches of the rules.

This was announced by Data Protection Commissioner Meike Kamp in the House of Representatives at the presentation of her annual report for 2023.

Fine against bank for breach of transparency obligations

Among other things, the supervisory authority imposed a fine of 300,000 euros on a bank for failing to fulfil its transparency obligations. The company had refused to provide a customer with comprehensible information about the reasons for the automated rejection of a credit card application.

Unauthorised information collected on the health status of employees

A company from the cultural sector was fined 215,000 euros. According to the data protection authorities, it had inadmissibly documented information about the health of employees and their interest in setting up a works council. The aim had been to use this information to prepare the dismissal of employees who were in their probationary period. In another case, a fine of 4,000 euros was imposed on a company for covert video surveillance. It had three trainees observed at their workplace by video cameras hidden in sockets without their knowledge.

Fines totalling 716,575 euros in 2022

According to the data protection authority, the fines imposed in all three cases are legally binding and have already been paid. The total amount is not at a record level: in 2022, the Berlin data protection authorities imposed fines totalling 716,575 euros.