Bodobalazs: 1 revision imported: GDPRHUB import 2023 04 18

2023-04-18T15:01:34Z

1 revision imported: GDPRHUB import 2023 04 18

New page

{| class="wikitable" style="width: 25%; margin-left: 10px; float:right;"
![[Article 10 GDPR|←]] Article 11: Processing which does not require identification [[Article 12 GDPR|→]]
|-
| style="padding: 20px; background-color:#003399;" |[[File:Gdpricon.png|100px|center|link=Overview_of_GDPR]]
|-
|

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="border-width: 0px" overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;">Chapter 1: General provisions</div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<small>
[[Article 1 GDPR|Article 1: Subject-matter and objectives]]<br />
[[Article 2 GDPR|Article 2: Material scope]]<br />
[[Article 3 GDPR|Article 3: Territorial scope]]<br />
[[Article 4 GDPR|Article 4: Definitions]]<br />
</small>
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible" style="border-width: 0px" overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;">Chapter 2: Principles</div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<small>
[[Article 5 GDPR|Article 5: Principles relating to processing of personal data]]<br />
[[Article 6 GDPR|Article 6: Lawfulness of processing]]<br />
[[Article 7 GDPR|Article 7: Conditions for consent]]<br />
[[Article 8 GDPR|Article 8: Conditions applicable to child’s consent in relation to information society services]]<br />
[[Article 9 GDPR|Article 9: Processing of special categories of personal data]]<br />
[[Article 10 GDPR|Article 10: Processing of personal data relating to criminal convictions and offences]]<br />
[[Article 11 GDPR|Article 11: Processing which does not require identification]]<br />
</small>
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="border-width: 0px" overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;">Chapter 3: Rights of the data subject</div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<small>
[[Article 12 GDPR|Article 12: Transparent information, communication and modalities for the exercise of the rights of the data subject]]<br />
[[Article 13 GDPR|Article 13: Information to be provided where personal data are collected from the data subject]]<br />
[[Article 14 GDPR|Article 14: Information to be provided where personal data have not been obtained from the data subject]]<br />
[[Article 15 GDPR|Article 15: Right of access by the data subject]]<br />
[[Article 16 GDPR|Article 16: Right to rectification]]<br />
[[Article 17 GDPR|Article 17: Right to erasure (‘right to be forgotten’)]]<br />
[[Article 18 GDPR|Article 18: Right to restriction of processing]]<br />
[[Article 19 GDPR|Article 19: Notification obligation regarding rectification or erasure of personal data or restriction of processing]]<br />
[[Article 20 GDPR|Article 20: Right to data portability]]<br />
[[Article 21 GDPR|Article 21: Right to object]]<br />
[[Article 22 GDPR|Article 22: Automated individual decision-making, including profiling]]<br />
[[Article 23 GDPR|Article 23: Restrictions]]<br />
</small>
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="border-width: 0px" overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;">Chapter 4: Controller and processor</div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<small>
[[Article 24 GDPR|Article 24: Responsibility of the controller]]<br />
[[Article 25 GDPR|Article 25: Data protection by design and by default]]<br />
[[Article 26 GDPR|Article 26: Joint controllers]]<br />
[[Article 27 GDPR|Article 27: Representatives of controllers or processors not established in the Union]]<br />
[[Article 28 GDPR|Article 28: Processor]]<br />
[[Article 29 GDPR|Article 29: Processing under the authority of the controller or processor]]<br />
[[Article 30 GDPR|Article 30: Records of processing activities]]<br />
[[Article 31 GDPR|Article 31: Cooperation with the supervisory authority]]<br />
[[Article 32 GDPR|Article 32: Security of processing]]<br />
[[Article 33 GDPR|Article 33: Notification of a personal data breach to the supervisory authority]]<br />
[[Article 34 GDPR|Article 34: Communication of a personal data breach to the data subject]]<br />
[[Article 35 GDPR|Article 35: Data protection impact assessment]]<br />
[[Article 36 GDPR|Article 36: Prior consultation]]<br />
[[Article 37 GDPR|Article 37: Designation of the data protection officer]]<br />
[[Article 38 GDPR|Article 38: Position of the data protection officer]]<br />
[[Article 39 GDPR|Article 39: Tasks of the data protection officer]]<br />
[[Article 40 GDPR|Article 40: Codes of conduct]]<br />
[[Article 41 GDPR|Article 41: Monitoring of approved codes of conduct]]<br />
[[Article 42 GDPR|Article 42: Certification]]<br />
[[Article 43 GDPR|Article 43: Certification bodies]]<br />
</small>
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="border-width: 0px" overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;">Chapter 5: Transfers of personal data</div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<small>
[[Article 44 GDPR|Article 44: General principle for transfers]]<br />
[[Article 45 GDPR|Article 45: Transfers on the basis of an adequacy decision]]<br />
[[Article 46 GDPR|Article 46: Transfers subject to appropriate safeguards]]<br />
[[Article 47 GDPR|Article 47: Binding corporate rules]]<br />
[[Article 48 GDPR|Article 48: Transfers or disclosures not authorised by Union law]]<br />
[[Article 49 GDPR|Article 49: Derogations for specific situations]]<br />
[[Article 50 GDPR|Article 50: International cooperation for the protection of personal data]]<br />
</small>
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="border-width: 0px" overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;">Chapter 6: Supervisory authorities</div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<small>
[[Article 51 GDPR|Article 51: Supervisory authority]]<br />
[[Article 52 GDPR|Article 52: Independence]]<br />
[[Article 53 GDPR|Article 53: General conditions for the members of the supervisory authority]]<br />
[[Article 54 GDPR|Article 54: Rules on the establishment of the supervisory authority]]<br />
[[Article 55 GDPR|Article 55: Competence]]<br />
[[Article 56 GDPR|Article 56: Competence of the lead supervisory authority]]<br />
[[Article 57 GDPR|Article 57: Tasks]]<br />
[[Article 58 GDPR|Article 58: Powers]]<br />
[[Article 59 GDPR|Article 59: Activity reports]]<br />
</small>
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="border-width: 0px" overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;">Chapter 7: Cooperation and consistency</div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<small>
[[Article 60 GDPR|Article 60: Cooperation between the lead supervisory authority and the other supervisory authorities concerned]]<br />
[[Article 61 GDPR|Article 61: Mutual assistance]]<br />
[[Article 62 GDPR|Article 62: Joint operations of supervisory authorities]]<br />
[[Article 63 GDPR|Article 63: Consistency mechanism]]<br />
[[Article 64 GDPR|Article 64: Opinion of the Board]]<br />
[[Article 65 GDPR|Article 65: Dispute resolution by the Board]]<br />
[[Article 66 GDPR|Article 66: Urgency procedure]]<br />
[[Article 67 GDPR|Article 67: Exchange of information]]<br />
[[Article 68 GDPR|Article 68: European Data Protection Board]]<br />
[[Article 69 GDPR|Article 69: Independence]]<br />
[[Article 70 GDPR|Article 70: Tasks of the Board]]<br />
[[Article 71 GDPR|Article 71: Reports]]<br />
[[Article 72 GDPR|Article 72: Procedure]]<br />
[[Article 73 GDPR|Article 73: Chair]]<br />
[[Article 74 GDPR|Article 74: Tasks of the Chair]]<br />
[[Article 75 GDPR|Article 75: Secretariat]]<br />
[[Article 76 GDPR|Article 76: Confidentiality]]<br />
</small>
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="border-width: 0px" overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;">Chapter 8: Remedies, liability and penalties</div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<small>
[[Article 77 GDPR|Article 77: Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority]]<br />
[[Article 78 GDPR|Article 78: Right to an effective judicial remedy against a supervisory authority]]<br />
[[Article 79 GDPR|Article 79: Right to an effective judicial remedy against a controller or processor]]<br />
[[Article 80 GDPR|Article 80: Representation of data subjects]]<br />
[[Article 81 GDPR|Article 81: Suspension of proceedings]]<br />
[[Article 82 GDPR|Article 82: Right to compensation and liability]]<br />
[[Article 83 GDPR|Article 83: General conditions for imposing administrative fines]]<br />
[[Article 84 GDPR|Article 84: Penalties]]<br />
</small>
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="border-width: 0px" overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;">Chapter 9: Specific processing situations</div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<small>
[[Article 85 GDPR|Article 85: Processing and freedom of expression and information]]<br />
[[Article 86 GDPR|Article 86: Processing and public access to official documents]]<br />
[[Article 87 GDPR|Article 87: Processing of the national identification number]]<br />
[[Article 88 GDPR|Article 88: Processing in the context of employment]]<br />
[[Article 89 GDPR|Article 89: Safeguards and derogations relating to processing for archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes]]<br />
[[Article 90 GDPR|Article 90: Obligations of secrecy]]<br />
[[Article 91 GDPR|Article 91: Existing data protection rules of churches and religious associations]]<br />
</small>
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="border-width: 0px" overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;">Chapter 10: Delegated and implementing acts</div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<small>
[[Article 92 GDPR|Article 92: Exercise of the delegation]]<br />
[[Article 93 GDPR|Article 93: Committee procedure]]<br />
</small>
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="border-width: 0px" overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;">Chapter 11: Final provisions</div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
<small>
[[Article 94 GDPR|Article 94: Repeal of Directive 95: /46: /EC]]<br />
[[Article 95 GDPR|Article 95: Relationship with Directive 20: 02: /58: /EC]]<br />
[[Article 96 GDPR|Article 96: Relationship with previously concluded Agreements]]<br />
[[Article 97 GDPR|Article 97: Commission reports]]<br />
[[Article 98 GDPR|Article 98: Review of other Union legal acts on data protection]]<br />
[[Article 99 GDPR|Article 99: Entry into force and application]]<br />
</small>
</div>
</div>
|}

== Legal Text ==
<br /><center>'''Article 11: Processing which does not require identification'''</center>

<span id="1"> 1. If the purposes for which a controller processes personal data do not or do no longer require the identification of a data subject by the controller, the controller shall not be obliged to maintain, acquire or process additional information in order to identify the data subject for the sole purpose of complying with this Regulation.</span>

<span id="1"> 2. Where, in cases referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article, the controller is able to demonstrate that it is not in a position to identify the data subject, the controller shall inform the data subject accordingly, if possible. In such cases, Articles 15 to 20 shall not apply except where the data subject, for the purpose of exercising his or her rights under those articles, provides additional information enabling his or her identification.</span>

==Relevant Recitals==
{{Recital/26 GDPR}}{{Recital/57 GDPR}}{{Recital/64 GDPR}}

==Commentary==
The data minimisation principle limits controllers in their processing operations, as it specifically requires them to only process data which is necessary for the fulfilment of specific purposes. Under Article 11(1) GDPR, when a processing operation does not or no longer requires the identification of the data subject, then the controller should act accordingly, deleting or otherwise hiding the identifying reference to the data subject. When this happens, the controller is not obliged to obtain additional information about the data subject for the sole purpose of GDPR compliance. Article 11(2) GDPR provides for an important exception to the above-mentioned rule. If a data subject wants to exercise their GDPR rights and to that extent provides further information allowing their (re)identification, the controller shall consider that information and, if possible, address the request.

==== (1) If the data subject is not identified, the GDPR applies in part ====
Article 11 GDPR applies when “''personal data do not or do no longer require the identification of a data subject''”. One could think that this refers to an anonymisation scenario, but this conclusion would make little sense. First, the GDPR does not apply to anonymous data. Second, under Article 11(2) GDPR, it would be impossible to inform a data subject who is not identifiable.<ref>''Georgieva'', in Kuner, Bygrave, Docksey, The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): A Commentary, Article 11 GDPR, p. 395 (Oxford University Press 2020).

</ref>

Under Article 4(1) GDPR, personal data means any information relating to an “''identified''” or “''identifiable”'' natural person'''''.''''' Looking attentively at the wording of Article 11(1) GDPR, it is clear that the provision only covers situations in which the data subject is not or no longer “''identified''”,<ref>Indeed, certain processing operations require the collection of personal data, but not necessarily the (ongoing) identification,of the data subject. It can be assumed that in general business transactions only a few use cases under Article 11(1) exist because the business purpose usually requires identification of the business partner, for example to carry out deliveries, to assess creditworthiness or to maintain business correspondence.</ref> but clearly excludes cases where they are still “''identifiable''”. In other words, the provision applies in case of pseudonymisation which, according to Recital 26, refers to information about an identifiable person. In the case of pseudonymisation, regardless whether it was implemented from the beginning (“''does not require''”) or at a later stage (“''does no longer require''”) of the processing operation, the GDPR grants the controller a privilege which reflects the favour towards data minimisation, storage limitation and data security. In particular, the controller shall not be obliged to retain, obtain or process further information about the individual if such information is needed to identify them and comply with one or more part of the GDPR.

This privilege is not absolute but refers exclusively to those parts of the GDPR that require the identification of the data subject.<ref>''Kampert,'' in Sydow, Europäische Datenschutzgrundverordnung, Article 11 GDPR, margin number 7 (C.H. Beck 2018, 2<sup>nd</sup> Edition).</ref> Some examples are possible. Take the case of the Google Street View. This process undoubtedly involves the collection of some personal data of inhabitants and their homes. However, it is argued, Google would probably not be obliged to collect the contact details of individual inhabitants in order to inform them of the processing under Articles 13 or 14 GDPR. This can be drawn from the final sentence of Article 11(1) GDPR.<ref>For this and other examles, see Gola, Datenschutz-Grund-verordnung, Article 11 GDPR, margin number 2 (C.H. Beck 2018, 2<sup>nd</sup> Edition).</ref>

It must be assessed with the utmost attention whether GDPR provisions require the identification of the data subject, and under no circumstances should Article 11(1) GDPR be regarded as a carte blanche for the transgression of data protection regulations. <span lang="EN-GB">The data minimisation principle limits controllers
in their processing operations, as it specifically requires them to only
process data which is necessary for the fulfilment of specific purposes. Under
Article 11(1) GDPR, when a processing operation does not or no longer requires
the identification of the data subject, then the controller should act
accordingly, deleting or otherwise hiding the identifying reference to the data
subject. When this happens, the controller is not obliged to obtain additional
information about the data subject for the sole purpose of GDPR compliance.
Article 11(2) GDPR provides for an important exception to the above-mentioned
rule. If a data subject wants to exercise their GDPR rights and to that extent
provides further information allowing their (re)identification, the controller
shall consider that information and, if possible, address the request. </span><ref>''Kampert,'' in Sydow, Europäische Datenschutzgrundverordnung, Article 11 GDPR, margin number 7 (C.H. Beck 2018, 2<sup>nd</sup> Edition).</ref> In particular, all other GDPR requirements that do not require the data subject’s identification remain applicable, including, but not limited to, security of processing ([[Article 32 GDPR|Article 32(1) GDPR]]) and the general principles of processing set out in [[Article 5 GDPR]].
==== (2) If the data subject exercises their rights, the controller must try the identification ====
In confirming the above interpretation, Paragraph 2 sets out a specific framework for the case that a data subject exercises their rights under Articles 15 to 20 GDPR. By definition, this situation requires the identification of the data subject, as a right only exists insofar as it is given to a specific person and they exercise it. In such circumstances, if, after pseudonymisation ("''In cases referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article''"), the controller receives a request to exercise the data subject’s right, but for technical reasons is unable to identify them, the controller must (i) prove this impossibility and (ii) inform the data subject of the reasons which render the request impossible. This will suffice to stay the claim ("''In such cases, Articles 15 to 20 shall not apply''") unless the data subject provides additional information allowing their identification. If their identification is possible following the receipt of the additional information, the exception will not apply and the controller shall comply with the data subject’s request.

===== Burden of Proof =====
The controller must be able to demonstrate that identifying the data subject is impossible. This demonstration should provide a transparent explanation of the reasons why the controller is unable to do so. Generic or circular arguments (e.g. "''Our systems are unable to identify your data''") do not meet the requirement of a proper demonstration under the fairness and transparency principle ([[Article 5 GDPR|Article 5(1)(a) GDPR]]).

===== Obligation to Inform =====
Article 11(2) GDPR provides for a peculiar informative obligation ("''Where [...] the controller is able to demonstrate that it is not in a position to identify the data subject, the controller shall inform the data subject accordingly, if possible''"). Such information is clearly different from that received under Articles 13 or 14 GDPR, and is particularly important as it allows the data subject to evaluate the allegedly non-identifying processing, as well as provide additional information to enable their identification. The controller should therefore provide tailored information and explain why identification is not possible. Furthermore, to comply with the principle of fairness the controller should indicate in advance which data the data subject should provide for their (re)identification.<ref>In this regard, the WP29 has already invited stakeholders "''to elaborate, precisely with reference to Article 11 calls for proposals from the C-ITS WG on the concept of ‘additional information’ that can be provided in the context of this new service to make this provision effective''". WP29, Opinion 3/2017 on processing personal data in the context of Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems, p. 7.</ref>

==Decisions==
→ You can find all related decisions in [https://gdprhub.eu/index.php?title=Category:Article_11_GDPR Category:Article 11 GDPR]

==References==
<references />

[[Category:GDPR Articles]]

Article 11 GDPR - Revision history

Bodobalazs: 1 revision imported: GDPRHUB import 2023 04 18