Police press releases are not the place to disclose personal data

The President of the Personal Data Protection Office has initiated administrative proceedings in connection with the disclosure of data by the Krakow police.

Mirosław Wróblewski, the President of the Personal Data Protection Office analysed a personal data breach, involving the disclosure of sensitive information concerning a natural person in a press release of the Municipal Police Headquarters in Krakow. In the course of the explanatory activities, findings were made which determined that the President of the Personal Data Protection Office initiated administrative proceedings against the Municipal Police Commander in Krakow, who was the controller of the disclosed data.

The proceedings concern the issue of a breach by the Commander of, inter alia:

• the principle of lawful data processing;
• the principle of ensuring adequate security to the data;
• and the processing and disclosure of data without a legal basis.

At the same time, the President of the Personal Data Protection Office informed of the initiation of proceedings the Commissioner for Human Rights, who, in letters to the supervisory authority, had shown interest in the Personal Data Protection Office's actions in this case.