Privacy Group Files Complaints Over Data Mishandling
Austrian privacy advocacy group NOYB has filed two complaints with the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS), accusing the European Parliament of violating the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The complaints stem from a data breach in early 2024, which compromised sensitive information of job applicants to the Parliament.
Breach Affects Thousands of Applicants
The data breach, uncovered in May, involved approximately 8,000 candidates applying for temporary roles, such as parliamentary assistants and contractual agents. The breach occurred through an external application called ‘PEOPLE,’ managed by the Parliament’s human resources department. NOYB claims that the compromised data includes highly sensitive documents like ID cards, passports, criminal records, and marriage certificates, which could reveal personal details such as sexual orientation.
Ongoing Investigation Into the Breach
The exact timing of the breach remains unclear, but an internal investigation by the Parliament concluded in April, suggesting that the data had been compromised for several months. Affected individuals were notified in May, but the source of the breach has yet to be identified.
Concerns Over EU Institutions’ Cybersecurity
Lorea Mendiguren, a data protection lawyer at NOYB, highlighted that this incident follows a series of cybersecurity issues within EU institutions over the past year. She emphasized the Parliament’s responsibility to implement strong security measures, given the potential targeting of its employees by malicious actors.
EDPS to Investigate Potential GDPR Violations
The case has now been transferred to the EDPS, which will investigate whether the Parliament’s handling of the breach violated GDPR. Depending on the findings, the EDPS may enforce corrective actions, such as halting certain data processing activities or suspending data transfers. In the event of a serious violation, the case could be escalated to the Court of Justice of the European Union.
SOURCE: Ref Image from Euractive
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