EU Court fines the European Parliament

In a rare and almost comical recent ruling, the EU’s General Court concluded that the European Parliament failed to comply with the EU’s data protection rules. 

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A German citizen visited the website of an EU conference and logged in via his Facebook account. This resulted in his personal information being shared with Meta in the US, and he approached the court claiming that his personal data was not protected as required under GDPR. The court agreed and fined the EU €400 in compensation.

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In addition to the somewhat ironic nature of the claim, it’s important to note that no organization is above data privacy protection regulation. Public institutions must pay attention and remain proactive to prevent the embarrassment and reputational damage caused by such violations. Using third-party services exposes organizations to data privacy risks, emphasizing the importance of proper mapping and risk assessment.

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