Italy Fines Emirates €180,000 for Mishandling Passenger Health Data and Privacy
Emirates Penalized Over Passenger Health Data Handling
Background of the Case
ROME, June 17 (Reuters) - Italy's data protection authority said on Wednesday it had fined the Emirates airline €180,000 ($208,890) for the allegedly unfair handling of health data of passengers with reduced mobility.
Complaint Details
• The case stemmed from a complaint by a passenger who said Emirates had made her fill in a medical form even though she was not among the categories required to submit such documentation.
Regulator's Findings
Lawfulness of Data Processing
• The Italian regulator found that the processing of health data itself was lawful as necessary to guarantee safe transport and assistance, but identified breaches on transparency and data storage limits.
Transparency and Privacy Issues
• The authority said Emirates failed to provide sufficiently clear and complete privacy information, either on its website or through staff assisting passengers.
Data Retention Concerns
• It also found that the airline retained health data collected via medical forms for seven years, which it considered excessive and disproportionate.
Emirates' Response
• Emirates was not immediately available for comment.
Exchange Rate Information
($1 = 0.8617 euros)
Reporting Credits
(Reporting by Giulia Segreti, editing by Alvise Armellini)
