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Ireland

EDPB statistics expose weak EU GDPR enforcement: fines in 1.3% of cases; budgets up but 40% of penalties stem from noyb litigation

Published on: 29 January 2025

Published by an LexisNexis Ireland - Commercial expert

Legal News

Article summary

EDPB report on DPA activity between 2018 and 2023 Strict GDPR enforcement only on paper

When the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) took effect in 2018, it signalled a new chapter for EU privacy protection — at least in theory. Individuals were armed with means to defend their fundamental rights, while regulators gained robust investigatory tools and the power to punish infringements with substantial penalties. Nearly seven years on, the picture is far gloomier.

Marking Data Protection Day on 28 January 2025, noyb reviewed the latest EDPB figures on the (in)activity of national data protection authorities (DPAs). The numbers reveal that, on average, only 1.3% of complaints handled by DPAs culminate in a fine. Yet data protection professionals consistently note that penalties are the most effective lever for driving companies to follow the law.

Back in May 2018, the GDPR promised a decisive move towards rigorous enforcement. Europeans harmed by privacy breaches received clear avenues to lodge complaints with their national DPAs — bodies ostensibly equipped to probe every manner of infringement. In practice, however, strict application remains largely on paper...

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