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ARTICLE · 16 JANUARY 2019

Data Protection Authority Issues First German Fine Under GDPR

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On November 21, the Data Protection Authority of Baden-Württemberg issued the first fine under the GDPR in Germany against a social media provider for violating data security requirements

GermanyPrivacy
Laurent De Muyter
Laurent De Muyter
Undine Von Diemar
Undine Von Diemar
Olivier Haas
Olivier Haas
Jörg Hladjk
Jörg Hladjk
Bastiaan Kout
Bastiaan Kout
Jonathon Little
Jonathon Little
Martin Lotz
Martin Lotz
Hatziri Minaudier
Hatziri Minaudier
Selma Olthof
Selma Olthof
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On November 21, the Data Protection Authority of Baden-Württemberg issued the first fine under the GDPR in Germany against a social media provider for violating data security requirements (source document in German). The company had notified the authority of a data breach after becoming aware that the personal data of 330,000 users, including email addresses and passwords, had been stolen during a hack. The authority determined that the company violated data security obligations under Article 32 of the GDPR, for example by storing the passwords in clear text. The authority imposed a modest fine of €20,000 and took into account mitigating factors such as the company's willingness to cooperate with the authority.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

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