The Permissibility Of GPS Tracking From A Compliance Perspective

Strict data protection requirements apply to the use of location tracking systems both in the employment context and in cooperation with other companies. In its partial judgement from March 19, 2019, the Lüneburg Administrative Court ruled in compliance with the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation and the new Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG) that unrestricted tracking of employee vehicles is impermissible. This ruling gives reason to examine the permissibility of the use of such systems from a compliance point of view: When using location tracking systems, companies must ensure that permission under data protection law exists for processing the location data of their employees or third parties. Otherwise, there is a risk of prosecution for the company due to breaches of data protection obligations.