Section 22 - Processing of special categories of personal dataSection 23 - Processing for other purposes by public bodiesSection 24 - Processing for other purposes by private bodiesSection 25 - Transfer of data by public bodiesSection 26 - Data processing for employment-related purposesSection 27 - Data processing for purposes of scientific or historical research and for statistical purposesSection 28 - Data processing for archiving purposes in the public interestSection 29 - Rights of the data subject and powers of the supervisory authorities in the case of secrecy obligationsSection 30 - Consumer loansSection 31 - Protection of commercial transactions in the case of scoring and credit reportsSection 32 - Information to be provided where personal data are collected from the data subjectSection 33 - Information to be provided where personal data have not been obtained from the data subjectSection 34 - Right of access by the data subjectSection 35 - Right to erasureSection 36 - Right to objectSection 37 - Automated individual decision-making, including profilingSection 38 - Data protection officers of private bodiesSection 39 - AccreditationSection 40 - Supervisory authorities of the LänderSection 41 - Application of provisions concerning criminal proceedings and proceedings to impose administrative finesSection 42 - Penal provisionsSection 43 - Provisions on administrative finesSection 44 - Proceedings against a controller or processor
Section 45 - ScopeSection 46 - DefinitionsSection 47 - General principles for processing personal dataSection 48 - Processing of special categories of personal dataSection 49 - Processing for other purposesSection 50 - Processing for archiving, scientific and statistical purposesSection 51 - ConsentSection 52 - Processing on instructions from the controllerSection 53 - ConfidentialitySection 54 - Automated individual decisionSection 55 - General information on data processingSection 56 - Notification of data subjectsSection 57 - Right of accessSection 58 - Right to rectification and erasure and to restriction of processingSection 59 - Modalities for exercising the rights of the data subjectSection 60 - Right to lodge a complaint with the Federal CommissionerSection 61 - Legal remedies against decisions of the Federal Commissioner or if he or she fails to take actionSection 62 - Processing carried out on behalf of a controllerSection 63 - Joint controllersSection 64 - Requirements for the security of data processingSection 65 - Notifying the Federal Commissioner of a personal data breachSection 66 - Notifying data subjects affected by a personal data breachSection 67 - Conducting a data protection impact assessmentSection 68 - Cooperation with the Federal CommissionerSection 69 - Prior consultation of the Federal CommissionerSection 70 - Records of processing activitiesSection 71 - Data protection by design and by defaultSection 72 - Distinction between different categories of data subjectsSection 73 - Distinction between facts and personal assessmentsSection 74 - Procedures for data transfersSection 75 - Rectification and erasure of personal data and restriction of processingSection 76 - LoggingSection 77 - Confidential reporting of violationsSection 78 - General requirementsSection 79 - Data transfers with appropriate safeguardsSection 80 - Data transfers without appropriate safeguardsSection 81 - Other data transfers to recipients in third countriesSection 82 - Mutual assistanceSection 83 - CompensationSection 84 - Penal provisions
1. the controller or processor processes personal data in Germany,
2. personal data are processed in the context of the activities of an establishment of the controller or processor in Germany, or if,
3. although the controller or processor has no establishment in a Member State of the European Union or another contracting state of the European Economic Area, it does fall within the scope of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation) (OJ L 119 of 4 May 2016, p. 1; L 314 of 22 November 2016, p. 72).
If this Act does not apply in accordance with the second sentence, only Sections 8 to 21 and 39 to 44 shall apply to the controller or processor.
2. the Federation holds the absolute majority of shares or controls the absolute majority of votes.
Public bodies shall be permitted to process personal data if such processing is necessary to perform the task for which the controller is responsible or to exercise official authority which has been vested in the controller.
(2) Appropriate measures shall be taken to make the surveillance and the controller’s name and contact details identifiable as early as possible.
(2) The data protection officer may perform other tasks and duties. The controller or processor shall ensure that any such tasks and duties do not result in a conflict of interests.
(1) The Federal Commissioner shall be competent to supervise the public bodies of the Federation, also if they take part in competition as enterprises governed by public law. The provisions of this chapter shall also apply to processors if they are private bodies in which the Federation holds the absolute majority of shares or controls the absolute majority of votes and they process data on behalf of a public body of the Federation
4. to promote the awareness of controllers and processors of their obligations under this Act and other data protection legislation, including legislation adopted to implement Directive (EU) 2016/680;
(1) The Federal Commissioner shall have, within the scope of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, the powers referred to in Article 58 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679. If the Federal Commissioner concludes that data protection legislation has been violated or that there are other problems with the processing of personal data, he or she shall inform the competent authority for legal or technical matters and, before exercising the powers referred to in Article 58 (2) (b) to (g), (i) and (j) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, shall give this authority the opportunity to provide its opinion to the controller within a reasonable period. The opportunity to provide an opinion may be dispensed with if an immediate decision seems necessary due to imminent danger or in the public interest, or if it would conflict with compelling public interests. The opinion should also include a description of the measures taken on the basis of the information from the Federal Commissioner.
(2) If the Federal Commissioner finds that, in data processing for purposes beyond the scope of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, public bodies of the Federation have violated this Act or other data protection legislation or there are other insufficiencies with their processing or use of personal data, the Federal Commissioner shall lodge a complaint with the competent supreme federal authority and shall require this authority to respond within a period to be determined by the Federal Commissioner. The Federal Commissioner may dispense with a complaint or a response, especially if the problems involved are insignificant or have been remedied in the meantime. The response should also describe the measures taken as a result of the Federal Commissioner’s complaint. The Federal Commissioner may also warn a controller that intended processing operations are likely to violate provisions of this Act and other data protection provisions which apply to the data processing in question.
(1) The lead supervisory authority of a Land in the one-stop-shop mechanism pursuant to Chapter VII of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 shall be the supervisory authority of the Land in which the controller or processor has its main establishment, as referred to in Article 4 no. 16 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 or its single establishment in the European Union, as referred to in Article 56 (1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679. Article 56 (1) in conjunction with Article 4 no. 16 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 shall apply accordingly within the Federal Commissioner’s area of responsibility. If there is no agreement on determining the lead supervisory authority, the procedure described in Section 18 (2) shall be applied accordingly.
(2) The supervisory authority with which a data subject has lodged a complaint shall forward the complaint to the lead supervisory authority referred to in subsection 1; in the absence of such a lead supervisory authority, the complaint shall be forwarded to the supervisory authority of a Land in which the controller or processor has an establishment. If a complaint is lodged with a supervisory authority which is not responsible for the matter, this authority shall forward the complaint to the supervisory authority where the applicant resides, if it is not possible to forward the complaint as referred to in the first sentence. The receiving supervisory authority shall be regarded as the supervisory authority according to Chapter VII of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 with whom the complaint was lodged, and shall fulfil the obligations referred to in Article 60 (7) to (9) and Article 65 (6) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679.
and as far as the interests of the controller in data processing in the cases of no. 2 outweigh the interests of the data subject.
5. restrictions on access to personal data within the controller and by processors;
6. processing is necessary to exercise powers of supervision and monitoring, to conduct audits or organisational analyses of the controller; this shall also apply to processing for training and examination purposes by the controller, as long as it does not conflict with the legitimate interests of the data subject.
(5) The controller must take appropriate measures to ensure compliance in particular with the principles for processing personal data described in Article 5 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679.
(1) By derogation from Article 9 (1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, the processing of special categories of personal data as referred to in Article 9 (1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 shall be permitted also without consent for scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes, if such processing is necessary for these purposes and the interests of the controller in processing substantially outweigh those of the data subject in not processing the data. The controller shall take appropriate and specific measures to safeguard the interests of the data subject in accordance with Section 22 (2), second sentence.
(4) The controller may publish personal data only if the data subject has provided consent or if doing so is indispensable for the presentation of research findings on contemporary events.
(1) By derogation from Article 9 (1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, the processing of special categories of personal data as referred to in Article 9 (1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 shall be permitted if necessary for archiving purposes in the public interest. The controller shall take appropriate and specific measures to safeguard the interests of the data subject in accordance with Section 22 (2), second sentence.
1. concerns the further processing of data stored in analogue form, for which the controller directly contacts the data subject through the further processing; the purpose is compatible with the original purpose for which the data were collected in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679; the communication with the data subject does not take place in digital form; and the interest of the data subject in receiving the information can be regarded as minimal, given the circumstances of the individual case, in particular with regard to the context in which the data were collected;
2. would, in the case of a public body, endanger the proper performance of tasks as referred to in Article 23 (1) (a) to (e) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 for which the controller is responsible, and the controller’s interests in not providing the information outweigh the interests of the data subject;
3. would endanger public security or order or would otherwise be detrimental to the welfare of the Federation or a Land, and the controller’s interests in not providing the information outweigh the interests of the data subject;
4. would interfere with the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims, and the controller’s interests in not providing the information outweigh the interests of the data subject; or
(2) If information is not provided to the data subject pursuant to subsection 1, the controller shall take appropriate measures to protect the legitimate interests of the data subject, including providing the information referred to in Article 13 (1) and (2) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 for the public in precise, transparent, understandable and easily accessible form in clear and simple language. The controller shall set down in writing the reasons for not providing information. The first and second sentences shall not apply in the cases of subsection 1 nos. 4 and 5.
(3) If notification is not provided in the cases of subsection 1 because of a temporary obstacle, the controller shall meet the obligation to provide information, while taking into account the specific circumstances of processing, within an appropriate period after the obstacle has ceased to exist, but no later than two weeks.
a) would endanger the proper performance of tasks as referred to in Article 23 (1) (a) to (e) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 for which the controller is responsible, or
b) the responsible public body has determined with respect to the controller that disclosing the data would endanger public security or order or would otherwise be detrimental to the welfare of the Federation or a Land; in the case of data processing for purposes of law enforcement, no determination pursuant to the first half-sentence shall be required.
(2) If information is not provided to the data subject pursuant to subsection 1, the controller shall take appropriate measures to protect the legitimate interests of the data subject, including providing the information referred to in Article 14 (1) and (2) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 for the public in precise, transparent, understandable and easily accessible form in clear and simple language. The controller shall set down in writing the reasons for not providing information.
(3) If a public body of the Federation does not provide information to a data subject, such information shall be provided to the Federal Commissioner at the request of the data subject, unless the responsible supreme federal authority determines in the individual case that doing so would endanger the security of the Federation or a Land. The notification from the Federal Commissioner to the data subject with the results of the data protection assessment shall not permit any conclusions to be drawn concerning the information held by the controller unless the latter agrees to the provision of more extensive information.
(1) If in the case of non-automated data processing erasure would be impossible or would involve a disproportionate effort due to the specific mode of storage and if the data subject’s interest in erasure can be regarded as minimal, the data subject shall not have the right to erasure and the controller shall not be obligated to erase personal data in accordance with Article 17 (1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 in addition to the exceptions given in Article 17 (3) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679. In this case, restriction of processing in accordance with Article 18 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 shall apply in place of erasure. The first and second sentences shall not apply if the personal data were processed unlawfully.
(2) In addition to Article 18 (1) (b) and (c) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, subsection 1, first and second sentences shall apply accordingly in the case of Article 17 (1) (a) and (d) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 as long and as far as the controller has reason to believe that erasure would adversely affect legitimate interests of the data subject. The controller shall inform the data subject of the restriction of processing if doing so is not impossible or would not involve a disproportionate effort.
2. the decision is based on the application of binding rules of remuneration for therapeutic treatment and the controller takes suitable measures, in the event that the request is not granted in full, to safeguard the data subject's legitimate interests, at least the right to obtain human intervention on the part of the controller, to express his or her point of view and to contest the decision; the controller shall inform the data subject of these rights no later than the notification indicating that the data subject’s request will not be granted in full.
(2) Decisions pursuant to subsection 1 may be based on the processing of health data as referred to in Article 4 no. 15 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679. The controller shall take appropriate and specific measures to safeguard the interests of the data subject in accordance with Section 22 (2), second sentence.
(1) In addition to Article 37 (1) (b) and (c) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, the controller and processor shall designate a data protection officer if they constantly employ as a rule at least ten persons dealing with the automated processing of personal data. If the controller or processor undertake processing subject to a data protection impact assessment pursuant to Article 35 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, or if they commercially process personal data for the purpose of transfer, of anonymized transfer or for purposes of market or opinion research, they shall designate a data protection officer regardless of the number of persons employed in processing.
(2) If the controller or processor has more than one establishment in Germany, Article 4 no. 16 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 shall apply accordingly in determining which supervisory authority is competent. If more than one authority considers itself competent or not competent, or when the competence is unclear for other reasons, the supervisory authorities shall make a joint decision in accordance with Section 18 (2). Section 3 (3) and
(3) Such offences shall be prosecuted only if a complaint is filed. The data subject, the controller, the Federal Commissioner and the supervisory authority shall be entitled to file complaints.
(1) Proceedings against a controller or a processor for a violation of data protection law within the scope of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 or the rights of the data subject contained therein may be brought by a data subject before the court in the place where the controller or processor has an establishment. Proceedings pursuant to the first sentence may also be brought before the court in the place where the data subject has his or her habitual residence.
(3) If the controller or processor has designated a representative pursuant to Article 27 (1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, this representative shall also be an authorized recipient in civil law proceedings pursuant to subsection 1. Section 184 of the Code of Civil Procedure shall remain unaffected.
The provisions of this Part shall apply to the processing of personal data by public bodies competent for the prevention, investigation, detection or prosecution of criminal or administrative offences or the execution of criminal or administrative penalties, as far as they process data for the purpose of carrying out these tasks. The public bodies shall be regarded in that case as controllers. The prevention of criminal offences as referred to in the first sentence shall include protection against and prevention of threats to public security. The first and second sentences shall also apply to those public bodies responsible for executing penalties, measures as referred to in Section 11 (1) no. 8 of the Criminal Code, educational or disciplinary measures as referred to in the Juvenile Court Act or fines. As far as this Part contains provisions for processors, it shall also apply to them.
7. ‘controller’ means the natural or legal person, public authority, agency or any other body which alone or jointly with others determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data;
8. ‘processor’ means a natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body which processes personal data on behalf of the controller;
(1) The processing of special categories of personal data shall be allowed only where strictly necessary for the performance of the controller’s tasks.
4. restrictions on access to personal data within the controller;
Processing personal data for a purpose other than the one for which they were collected shall be permitted if the other purpose is one of the purposes listed in Section 45, the controller is authorized to process data for this purpose, and processing is necessary and proportionate to this purpose. Processing personal data for another purpose not listed in Section 45 shall be permitted if it is allowed by law.
(1) If personal data may be processed by law on the basis of consent, the controller must be able to present evidence of the data subject’s consent.
Any person acting under the authority of the controller or of the processor who has access to personal data shall not process those data except on instructions from the controller, unless required to do so by law.
The controller shall provide general and publicly accessible information on
3. the names and contact details of the controller and the data protection officer,
(2) In the cases of subsection 1, the controller may postpone, limit or refrain from notification if and so long as
(1) The controller shall inform data subjects on request whether data concerning them are being processed. Data subjects shall also have the right to information about
6. the existence of the right to rectification or erasure of data or restriction of processing of data by the controller;
(4) Subject to the conditions of Section 56 (2), the controller may dispense with the provision of information pursuant to subsection 1, first sentence, or restrict, wholly or partly, the provision of information pursuant to subsection 1, second sentence.
(6) The controller shall notify the data subject, without delay, in writing of any refusal or restriction of access. This shall not apply if providing this information would entail a threat as referred to in Section 56 (2). The notification pursuant to the first sentence shall include the reasons for the refusal or the restriction unless providing the reasons would undermine the intended purpose of the refusal or restriction of access.
(7) If the data subject is notified pursuant to subsection 6 of the refusal or restriction of access, he or she may exercise his or her right of access also via the Federal Commissioner. The controller shall inform the data subject of this possibility and that, in accordance with Section 60, the data subject may lodge a complaint with the Federal Commissioner or seek a judicial remedy. If the data subject exercises his or her right pursuant to the first sentence, the information shall be provided to the Federal Commissioner at the request of the data subject, unless the responsible supreme federal authority determines in the individual case that doing so would threaten the security of the Federation or a Land. The Federal Commissioner shall at least inform the data subject that all necessary checks have been conducted or that the Federal Commissioner has conducted a review. This notification may include information as to whether violations of data protection law were found. The notification from the Federal Commissioner to the data subject shall not permit any conclusions to be drawn concerning the information held by the controller unless the latter agrees to the provision of more extensive information. The controller may refuse to such provision only as far as and for as long as he or she could dispense with or restrict information pursuant to subsection 4. The Federal Commissioner shall also inform the data subject of his or her right to seek a judicial remedy.
(8) The controller shall document the factual or legal reasons on which the decision is based.
(1) The data subject shall have the right to obtain from the controller without delay the rectification of inaccurate data concerning him or her. In particular in the case of statements or assessments, the question of accuracy is not relevant for the content of the statement or assessment. If the accuracy or inaccuracy of the data cannot be ascertained, the controller shall restrict processing instead of erasing the data. In this case, the controller shall inform the data subject before lifting the restriction of processing. The data subject may also ask to have incomplete personal data completed, if doing so is appropriate when taking into account the purposes of processing.
(2) The data subject shall have the right to obtain from the controller the erasure of personal data concerning him or her without delay where processing such data is unlawful, knowledge of the data is no longer necessary for the performance of tasks, or the data must be erased to comply with a legal obligation.
(3) Instead of erasure, the controller may restrict processing where
(5) If the controller has rectified inaccurate data, he or she shall communicate the rectification to the body from which he or she received the personal data. In cases of rectification, erasure or restriction of processing pursuant to subsections 1 to 3, the controller shall inform recipients to whom the data were transferred about these measures. The recipient shall rectify or erase the data or restrict their processing.
(6) The controller shall inform the data subject in writing of any refusal to rectify or erase personal data or restrict its processing. This shall not apply if providing this information would entail a threat as referred to in Section 56 (2). The information pursuant to the first sentence shall include the reasons for the refusal unless providing the reasons would undermine the intended purpose of the refusal.
(1) The controller shall communicate with data subjects in a concise, intelligible and easily accessible form, using clear and plain language. Regardless of special formal requirements, when responding to requests, the controller shall provide the information in the same form as the request.
(2) When responding to requests, without prejudice to Section 57 (6) and Section 58 (6) the controller shall inform the data subject in writing about the follow-up to his or her request without delay.
(3) Information provided pursuant to Section 55, any communication made pursuant to Sections 56 and 66, and requests processed pursuant to Sections 57 and 58 shall be free of charge. Where a request pursuant to Sections 57 and 58 is manifestly unfounded or excessive, the controller may charge a reasonable fee based on its administrative costs, or may refuse to act on the request. In this case, the controller must be able to demonstrate the manifestly unfounded or excessive character of the request.
(4) Where the controller has reasonable doubts concerning the identity of a data subject making the request pursuant to Sections 57 or 58, the controller may request the provision of additional information necessary to confirm the identity of the data subject.
(1) Where personal data are processed by other persons or bodies on behalf of a controller, the controller shall ensure compliance with the provisions of this Act and other data protection provisions. The data subject shall assert his or her rights to access, rectification, erasure, restriction of processing and the right to receive compensation against the controller.
(2) A controller may use only processors providing sufficient guarantees to implement appropriate technical and organisational measures in such a manner that the processing will meet the requirements of the law and ensure the protection of the rights of the data subjects.
(3) Processors shall not engage other processors without prior written authorisation by the controller. If the controller has given the processor general authorisation to engage other processors, the processor shall inform the controller of any intended changes concerning the addition or replacement of other processors. In this case, the controller may object to such changes.
(4) Where a processor engages another processor, the former shall impose on the latter the same data protection obligations as set out in the contract between the controller and the processor as referred to in subsection 5 if these obligations are not already binding for the latter processor because of other legislation. Where that other processor fails to fulfil these obligations, the initial processor shall remain fully liable to the controller for the performance of that other processor's obligations.
(5) Processing by a processor shall be governed by a contract or other legal instrument that is binding on the processor with regard to the controller and that sets out the subject matter and duration of the processing, the nature and purpose of the processing, the type of personal data and categories of data subjects and the obligations and rights of the controller. That contract or other legal instrument shall stipulate, in particular, that the processor
1. acts only on instructions from the controller; if the processor believes that an instruction is unlawful, the processor shall inform the controller without delay;
3. assists the controller by any appropriate means to ensure compliance with the provisions on the data subject's rights;
4. at the choice of the controller, deletes or returns all the personal data to the controller after the end of the provision of data processing services, and deletes existing copies unless law requires storage of the personal data;
5. makes available to the controller all information necessary, in particular the logs kept in accordance with Section 76, to demonstrate compliance with these obligations;
6. allows for and contributes to audits conducted by the controller or another auditor mandated by the controller;
9. assists the controller in ensuring compliance with the obligations pursuant to Sections 64 to 67 and 69 taking into account the nature of processing and the information available to the processor.
(7) A processor that determines, in violation of this provision, the purposes and means of processing, shall be considered a controller in respect of that processing.
Where two or more controllers jointly determine the purposes and means of processing, they shall be considered joint controllers. Joint controllers shall determine their respective tasks and responsibilities under data protection law in a transparent manner in an agreement, unless these tasks and responsibilities are already determined by law. In particular, this agreement must indicate which of them must meet which information obligations, and how and with respect to whom data subjects may exercise their rights. Such an agreement shall not prevent data subjects from asserting their rights against each of the joint controllers.
(1) The controller and the processor, taking into account the state of the art, the costs of implementation and the nature, scope, context and purposes of the processing as well as the risk of varying likelihood and severity for the legally protected interests of natural persons, shall implement the necessary technical and organisational measures to ensure a level of security appropriate to the risk when processing personal data, in particular as regards the processing of special categories of personal data. In doing so, the controller shall take into account the relevant Technical Guidelines and recommendations from the Federal Office for Information Security.
(3) In respect of automated processing, the controller and processor, following an evaluation of the risks, shall implement measures designed to
1. deny unauthorised persons access to processing equipment used for processing (‘equipment access control’);
2. prevent the unauthorised reading, copying, modification or erasure of data media (‘data media control’);
3. prevent the unauthorised input of personal data and the unauthorised inspection, modification or deletion of stored personal data (‘storage control’);
4. prevent the use of automated processing systems by unauthorised persons using data communication equipment (‘user control’);
5. ensure that persons authorized to use an automated processing system have access only to the personal data covered by their access authorisation (‘data access control’);
6. ensure that it is possible to verify and establish the bodies to which personal data have been or may be transmitted or made available using data communication equipment (‘communication control’);
7. ensure that it is subsequently possible to verify and establish which personal data have been input into automated processing systems and when and by whom the personal data were input (‘input control’);
8. ensure that the confidentiality and integrity of personal data are protected during transfers of personal data or during transport of data media (‘transport control’);
12. ensure that personal data processed on behalf of the controller can only be processed in compliance with the controller’s instructions (‘processing control’);
13. ensure that personal data are protected against loss and destruction (‘availability control’);
(1) In the case of a personal data breach, the controller shall notify the Federal Commissioner without delay and, if possible, not later than 72 hours after having become aware of it, of the personal data breach, unless the personal data breach is unlikely to result in a risk to the legally protected interests of natural persons. If the Federal Commissioner is not notified within 72 hours, the notification shall be accompanied by reasons for the delay.
(2) A processor shall notify the controller of a personal data breach without delay.
4. a description of the measures taken or proposed by the controller to address the personal data breach, including measures to mitigate its possible adverse effects.
(4) If it is not possible to provide the information pursuant to subsection 3 with the notification, the controller shall provide this information as soon as it is available.
(5) The controller shall document any personal data breaches. This documentation shall include all the facts relating to the personal data breach, its effects and the remedial action taken.
(6) If the personal data breach involves personal data that have been transmitted by or to a controller in another Member State of the European Union, the information referred to in subsection 3 shall be communicated to the controller in that Member State without delay.
(8) Additional obligations of the controller regarding notifications of personal data breaches shall remain unaffected.
(1) If a personal data breach is likely to result in a substantial risk to the legally protected interests of natural persons, the controller shall notify the data subject of the personal data breach without delay.
1. the controller has implemented appropriate technical and organisational protection measures, and those measures were applied to the personal data affected by the personal data breach, in particular those that render the personal data unintelligible to any person who is not authorized to access them, such as encryption;
2. the controller has taken subsequent measures which ensure that the substantial risk referred to in subsection 1 is no longer likely to exist;
(4) If the controller has not informed the data subjects of a personal data breach, the Federal Commissioner may formally determine that, in his or her opinion, the conditions referred to in subsection 3 have not been met. In doing so, the Federal Commissioner shall consider the likelihood of the personal data breach resulting in a high risk as referred to in subsection 1.
(5) The notification of data subjects pursuant to subsection 1 may be delayed, restricted or omitted under the conditions referred to in Section 56 (2) unless the interests of the data subjects outweigh those of the controller owing to the high risk resulting from the personal data breach as referred to in subsection 1.
(1) Where a type of processing in particular using new technologies, and taking into account the nature, scope, context and purposes of the processing, is likely to result in a substantial risk to the legally protected interests of data subjects, the controller shall, prior to the processing, carry out an assessment of the impact of the envisaged processing operations on the data subjects.
(3) The controller shall involve the Federal Commissioner in carrying out the impact assessment.
(5) Where necessary, the controller shall carry out a review to assess whether processing is performed in accordance with the data protection impact assessment.
The controller shall cooperate with the Federal Commissioner in carrying out the latter’s tasks.
(1) The controller shall consult the supervisory authority prior to processing which will form part of a new filing system if
1. a data protection impact assessment pursuant to Section 67 indicates that the processing would result in a substantial risk to the legally protected interests of data subjects in the absence of measures taken by the controller to mitigate the risk; or
2. where applicable, information on the respective responsibilities of the controller, joint controllers and processors involved in the processing;
(3) If the Federal Commissioner believes that the planned processing would violate the law, in particular because the controller has not sufficiently identified the risk or has not taken sufficient measures to mitigate the risk, he or she may provide, within a period of up to six weeks of receipt of the request for consultation, written advice to the controller and, where applicable, to the processor, as to which additional measures should be taken. The Federal Commissioner may extend this period by a month, if the planned processing is especially complex. In this case, the Federal Commissioner shall inform the controller and, where applicable, the processor of the extension within one month of receipt of the request for consultation.
(4) If the envisaged processing has substantial significance for the controller’s performance of tasks and is therefore especially urgent, the controller may initiate processing after the consultation has started but before the period referred to in subsection 3, first sentence, has expired. In this case, the recommendations of the Federal Commissioner shall be taken into account after the fact, and the way the processing is carried out shall be adjusted where applicable.
(1) The controller shall keep a record of all categories of processing activities under its responsibility. This record shall contain all of the following information:
1. the name and contact details of the controller and, where applicable, of the joint controller; and the name and contact details of the data protection officer;
(2) The processor shall maintain a record of all categories of processing activities carried out on behalf of a controller, containing
1. the name and contact details of the processor, of each controller on behalf of which the processor is acting and, where applicable, the data protection officer;
(4) Controllers and processors shall make these records available to the Federal Commissioner on request.
(1) The controller, both at the time the means of processing are determined and at the time of the processing itself, shall take appropriate measures to implement data protection principles, such as data minimization, in an effective manner, to ensure compliance with legal requirements and to protect the rights of data subjects. In doing so, the controller shall take into account the state of the art, the cost of implementation and the nature, scope, context and purposes of processing, as well as the risks of varying likelihood and severity for the legally protected interests of the data subject posed by the processing. In particular, personal data shall be processed, and processing systems shall be selected and designed in accordance with the aim of processing as few personal data as possible. Personal data shall be rendered anonymous or pseudonymized as early as possible, as far as possible in accordance with the purpose of processing.
(2) The controller shall implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure that, by default, only personal data which are necessary for each specific purpose of the processing are processed. That applies to the amount of data collected, the extent of their processing, the period of their storage and their accessibility. In particular, the measures must ensure that by default the data are not made accessible by automated means to an indefinite number of persons.
When processing personal data, the controller shall, as far as possible, make a clear distinction between different categories of data subjects. This applies in particular to the following categories:
In processing, the controller shall distinguish, as far as possible, personal data based on facts from personal data based on personal assessments. To this end, the controller shall identify evaluations based on personal assessments as such, as far as possible and reasonable in the context of the processing in question. It must also be possible to determine which body keeps the records on which an evaluation based on a personal assessment is based.
(1) The controller shall take appropriate measures to ensure that personal data which are inaccurate or no longer up to date are not transmitted or otherwise made available. To that end, the controller shall, as far as possible with reasonable effort, verify the quality of the data before they are transmitted or made available. The controller shall also, as far as possible and reasonable, in all transmissions of personal data include the necessary information to enable the recipient to assess the degree of accuracy, completeness and reliability of the data, and the extent to which they are up to date.
(1) The controller shall rectify inaccurate personal data.
(2) The controller shall erase personal data without delay if their processing is unlawful, they must be erased to comply with a legal obligation, or knowledge of the data is no longer necessary for the controller to perform its tasks.
(4) Without prejudice to any time limits for storing or erasing data defined in law, the controller shall provide for appropriate time limits for the erasure of personal data or for a periodic review of the need for the storage of personal data and shall take procedural measures to ensure that these time limits are observed.
(1) Controllers and processors shall provide for logs to be kept for at least the following processing operations in automated processing systems:
(5) The controller and the processor shall make the logs available to the Federal Commissioner on request.
The controller shall ensure that it is able to receive confidential reports of violations of data protection law which have occurred in its area of responsibility.
(2) No transfer of personal data shall be permitted, despite an adequacy decision as referred to in subsection 1 no. 2 and the public interest in the data transfer to be taken into account, if in the individual case it cannot be ensured that the data will be handled appropriately in terms of data protection law and in accordance with fundamental human rights in the area of responsibility of the recipient, or if a transfer would conflict with other overriding legitimate interests of a data subject. The controller shall base its assessment on whether the recipient in the individual case guarantees appropriate protection of the transferred data.
(4) The controller transferring data pursuant to subsection 1 shall take appropriate measures to ensure that the recipient will transfer the data onward to other third countries or other international organisations only with the prior authorisation of the controller. When deciding whether to authorize the transfer, the controller shall take into account all relevant factors, including the seriousness of the criminal offence, the purpose for which the personal data were originally transferred and the level of personal data protection in the third country or international organisation to which the data are to be transferred onward. The transfer shall be authorized only if a direct transfer to the other third country or international organisation would be lawful. The responsibility for issuing authorisation may also be otherwise provided for.
2. the controller has assessed all the circumstances surrounding the transfer and concludes that appropriate safeguards exist for the protection of personal data.
(2) The controller shall document transfers pursuant to subsection 1 no. 2. The documentation shall include the date and time of the transfer, the identity of the recipient, the reason for the transfer and the personal data transferred. It shall be provided to the Federal Commissioner on request.
(3) The controller shall file a report to the Federal Commissioner at least once a year covering transfers conducted on the basis of an assessment pursuant to subsection 1 no. 2. In this report, the controller may categorize the recipients and the purpose of the transfers appropriately.
(2) The controller shall not transfer data pursuant to subsection 1 if the fundamental rights of the data subject override the public interest in the transfer.
(1) In special individual cases and if all other requirements for data transfers to third countries are met, controllers may transfer personal data directly to recipients in third countries not referred to in Section 78 (1) no. 1 if the transfer is strictly necessary for the performance of their tasks and
3. the controller informs the recipient of the purposes of processing and instructs the recipient that the transferred data may be processed only to the extent necessary for these purposes.
(2) In the case of subsection 1, the controller shall inform the bodies referred to in Section 78 (1) no. 1 of the transfer without delay, unless this is ineffective or inappropriate.
(4) In the case of transfers pursuant to subsection 1, the transmitting controller shall
obligate the recipient to process the transferred personal data without the controller’s consent only for the purpose for which they were transferred.
(1) If a controller has caused a data subject to suffer damage by processing personal data in violation of this Act or other law applicable to this processing, the controller or its legal entity shall be obligated to provide compensation to the data subject. This obligation to provide compensation shall not apply if, in the case of non-automated processing, the damage was not the result of fault by the controller.
(3) If, in the case of automated processing of personal data, it is not possible to determine which of several controllers caused the damage, each controller or its legal entity shall be liable.