Probe Launch: State Data Protection Officer Delves into Police Union Raid
Investigative Action by Data Protection Authority Regarding GdP's Search - Data Protection Authority Examines GDPR Compliance Search at GDPR
After the late-March harassment on the Police Trade Union headquarters, the State Data Protection Officer is now delving into the matter. Tino Melzer, speaking to the German Press Agency in Erfurt, confirmed that his office has reached out to the Public Prosecutor's Office in Gera for information. "We're in the fact-finding phase." He aims to gain a better understanding of the case within the Interior Committee of the state parliament. The Interior Committee's meeting, with the matter on its non-public agenda, is scheduled for Thursday.
The Police Trade Union (GdP) has long voiced data protection concerns in response to past raids on its premises. Criticism of the internal investigators' methods has persisted for weeks, with allegations of treason of secrets at the heart of the matter. The GdP premises in Erfurt were also part of the investigation.
Data protection worries abound for the GdP
According to the Public Prosecutor's Office in Gera, search media were confiscated "to scrutinize evidence." A search warrant was issued against the suspect, which covered the rooms belonging to the suspect within the GdP building, as well as the digital storage devices accessible from these rooms, the Public Prosecutor's Office explained.
"The seizure and securing of the data has been greenlit by the Regional Court of Gera," the Public Prosecutor's Office declared last week, implying that the involvement of the State Data Protection Officer was considered unnecessary from their perspective.
Following the raid, the GdP initially suspected that two servers had been cloned. According to GdP information, one of the two servers allegedly held a substantial amount of highly protected personal data, as the trade union announced at the beginning of April. At that time, the GdP demanded data protection assurances.
- The Probe Launch underlines the importance of addressing the employment policies within the Police Trade Union, given the recurring concerns about data protection and allegations of employment-related issues, such as the recent raid and treason of secrets accusations.
- The 'policy-and-legislation' sphere is crucial in this scenario, as the State Data Protection Officer and the Public Prosecutor's Office work in accordance with relevant laws and regulations, exploring the intricacies of the case and ensuring the protection of sensitive information in the realm of 'politics' and 'general-news', including the Crime and Justice sector.
