In a comprehensive 2.5-hour crash course for the Summer Course of The Institute for Information Law, our CEO Joost Gerritsen unpacked the latest CJEU case law developments that every privacy professional and legal consultant needs to understand. The session, hosted by Els De Busser, provided participants with essential insights into how recent rulings are reshaping GDPR interpretation and enforcement across Europe.
Lindenapotheke: Expanding the Boundaries of Health Data
The Lindenapotheke case demonstrates just how broadly the Court interprets health data under GDPR. This ruling has significant implications for businesses navigating compliance in sectors beyond traditional healthcare. The expansive definition means organisations must reassess what information in their possession might qualify as special category data, triggering enhanced protection requirements.
For supervisory authorities and data protection officers, this case reinforces the need for careful analysis when determining data categories. The broad interpretation affects everything from employee wellness programmes to fitness apps, requiring a fundamental rethink of data classification strategies.
Thomas Bindl v Commission: The True Cost of “Free” Social Login
Perhaps one of the most striking revelations from the crash course was the Thomas Bindl case, which effectively prices Facebook login integration at EUR 400. This ruling provides concrete guidance for organisations implementing social media authentication, establishing clear monetary values for data processing activities.
This case offers law firms advising clients tangible benchmarks for assessing data processing agreements and evaluating the real costs of seemingly convenient authentication methods. It challenges the notion of “free” services and provides precedent for quantifying privacy impacts in monetary terms.
SRB v EDPS: Redefining Personal Data Through Recipient Perspective
The SRB v EDPS case and its recent Advocate General opinion tackle a fundamental question in European data protection: to what extent must we assess personal data from the recipient’s perspective? This ruling has profound implications for data sharing arrangements and controller determinations.
The case highlights how cross-referenced case law continues to evolve our understanding of basic GDPR concepts. For organisations engaged in data transfers or sharing arrangements, this perspective shift requires reassessing whether information they receive qualifies as personal data, even if it wasn’t considered such by the sender.
NADA and Others II: Sports Data at the Intersection of Privacy
Looking ahead, the NADA and Others II case promises to be a landmark ruling for sports organisations and beyond. With the Advocate General’s opinion delivered on September 25th, this case explores how GDPR applies to sports data and competitive integrity measures.
This case holds particular relevance for sectors implementing performance monitoring, anti-doping measures, or integrity checks. The ruling will provide crucial guidance on balancing legitimate interests in fair competition against fundamental privacy rights.
Storstockholmtrafik: Transparency Obligations for Surveillance Technologies
The Storstockholmtrafik case addresses a practical challenge facing many organisations: how to properly inform individuals about surveillance technologies like body cameras in public transport settings. The case provides concrete guidance on meeting transparency obligations when traditional notification methods prove impractical.
For businesses deploying surveillance technologies, this ruling clarifies information requirements and acceptable notification methods. It’s particularly relevant as organisations increasingly adopt body cameras, dashcams, and other mobile recording devices for security and evidence purposes.
Why These Cases Matter for Your Practice
These five cases demonstrate the Court of Justice‘s continuing evolution of data protection law. From expanding definitions of sensitive data to quantifying privacy harms, from reconceptualising personal data to addressing modern surveillance challenges, each ruling adds layers to our understanding of GDPR application.
For privacy professionals, staying current with these developments isn’t optional – it’s essential for effective compliance advice. The cases reveal how seemingly settled concepts continue to evolve through judicial interpretation, affecting everything from data mapping exercises to privacy impact assessments.
The Challenge of Tracking Evolving Case Law
As Gerritsen’s comprehensive session demonstrates, the sheer volume and complexity of CJEU privacy rulings presents a significant challenge. Each case doesn’t exist in isolation – it builds upon previous decisions, references parallel proceedings, and influences future interpretations. This interconnected nature makes it crucial to understand not just individual rulings but how they relate to the broader legal framework.
The rapid pace of developments means that compliance strategies based on yesterday’s understanding may be inadequate tomorrow. Organisations need systems to track, analyse, and implement insights from this constantly evolving case law landscape.
Master the Complete Picture of EU Privacy Law
This crash course on CJEU case law represents just a fraction of the daily-updated legal intelligence privacy professionals need to navigate today’s regulatory environment. Each ruling creates ripples across the entire data protection framework, affecting interpretations, enforcement priorities, and compliance strategies.
Digibeetle transforms this complexity into clarity. Our expert-curated platform doesn’t just list cases – we reveal the connections between rulings, track how interpretations evolve, and highlight what matters for your practice. While others struggle to keep pace with individual decisions, our cross-referenced legal database shows you how each piece fits into the larger puzzle.
Whether you’re assessing health data classifications, evaluating social login costs, or implementing surveillance technologies, we provide the comprehensive European legal intelligence you need. Our platform ensures you understand not just what the Court ruled, but why it matters and how it connects to other developments in EU digital law.
Ready to move beyond fragmented case summaries to truly comprehensive legal intelligence? Start your 30-day free trial to experience how we make sense of the avalanche of CJEU rulings, or book a consultation to discuss your organisation’s specific needs for staying current with evolving privacy law.
