Fine for family search site for violating privacy law

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fine for family search site for violating privacy law
fine for family search site for violating privacy law

The Dutch Data Protection Authority (AP) has imposed a fine of 525,000 euros on the Locatefamily.com website. Locatefamily.com publishes address details and telephone numbers of people, often without their knowledge.

Getting the data deleted is not easy, because the site does not have a representative in the European Union. That is a violation of the privacy law, and the reason for the fine, the privacy watchdog reports .

The Dutch Data Protection Authority received dozens of complaints about Locatefamily.com. The site can be used to trace people with whom contact has been lost, such as friends, classmates or family. People saw their full addresses and sometimes phone numbers on the site and don’t know how they got there. This can lead, for example, according to the AP , that “unsuspecting people are suddenly surprised with unexpected visitors on the sidewalk”.

700,000 Dutch

The site contains personal data of people all over the world, including 700,000 Dutch people. AP Vice President Monique Verdier said: “What is private should remain private. With this type of information, malicious parties can, for example, commit identity fraud. Or visit you at home or harass you by phone or email.” It is therefore not possible to simply have the info deleted. “This is partly because Locatefamily.com has no representative in the EU.”

Organizations that offer services or products in the EU must set up a counter for EU citizens where they can go for information or to exercise their privacy rights.

Penalty

To force Locatefamily.com to open a counter in the EU, the AP is also imposing an order subject to a penalty. The company was required to have appointed a representative in the EU by March 18, 2021. If not, the site will have to pay 20,000 euros for every 2 weeks that the charge is not met, with a maximum of 120,000 euros. Locatefamily.com has not yet confirmed to the AP whether it has now appointed a representative in the EU.

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