BELGIAN DPA FINED OF 5.000 € ON LOCAL ELECTION CANDIDATE

15.06.2020

The Belgian Data Protection Authority (“DPA”) imposed a fine of 5.000 EURO on a candidate in local elections on the ground that the candidate had sent election propaganda in the letter form to staff members who registered for municipality.

The DPA stated that the content of the letter sent shows that it was indeed election propaganda, while the defendant claimed that amount to normal communication between a municipal councillor, which the defendant was at the time, and municipal staff.

In this context, the defendant is found to violate the Law, considering that the staff register is not meant to be used for other purposes than the internal management of the municipality and there is no legal basis for a lawful processing of data from the staff register. As a result of the complaint, the defendant was imposed fined of 5.000 EURO.

You can read the EDPB’s announcement here.

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Zumbul Attorneys-at-Law

info@zumbul.av.tr