Newsroom
The Commissioner for Personal Data Protection has imposed a €5,000 administrative fine on the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare after discovering that three surveillance cameras at the ministry’s headquarters had been unlawfully recording audio.
Commissioner Irene Loizidou Nicolaidou said the violation came to light during an inspection prompted by an anonymous complaint. Audio was detected on playback from one of the 19 cameras during an investigation into a burglary at the ministry’s main building.
Following the discovery, the ministry requested the installation company disable the audio function, which was done on December 30, 2024.
An investigation revealed the ministry failed to conduct a required data protection impact assessment, did not carry out proper compliance checks during installation, and lacked adequate signage to inform individuals being recorded, violations of Articles 13, 24(1), and 35 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The use of audio recording was also deemed unlawful under Article 5(1)(a), as there was no legal basis for the processing.
“In view of the circumstances, I imposed an administrative fine of €5,000 on the Deputy Ministry for breaching the Regulation and issued a reprimand,” Nicolaidou said in a statement issued June 16. She also ordered the ministry to restrict access to stored CCTV footage and implement access procedures for authorized personnel within two months.
In a statement, the Deputy Ministry said it respects the decision and will fully comply with all directives. It emphasized that the issue, caused by the installation company’s failure to disable audio recording, was corrected immediately upon detection and that it acted swiftly and cooperatively throughout the process.
To further strengthen safeguards, the ministry announced it will now carry out biannual checks on all installed cameras.
