The Norwegian SA issues fine and order company to establish procedures after unlawful credit rating

17 December 2021

Background information

  • Date of final decision: 17 December 2021
  • Cross-border case or national case: National Case
  • Controller: T. Stene Transport AS
  • Legal Reference: Legal basis (Article 6)
  • Decision: Infringement of the GDPR, Order to establish procedures
  • Key words: Credit Rating

 

Summary of the Decision

 
Origin of the case

The company T. Stene Transport AS performed a credit rating of a sole proprietorship.

 
Key Findings

Credit information about a sole proprietorship constitutes personal data, as the owner is immediately identified with the enterprise, and the enterprise is directly linked to the owner’s personal finances. This means that a valid legal basis is required to subject sole proprietorships to a credit rating.

In general, the Norwegian Supervisory Authority (SA) believes procedures would create awareness and promote compliance with regulations. In this case, the company had not previously used the credit rating tool.

 
Decision

The Norwegian SA has decided to fine T. Stene Transport AS EUR 4,000 after unlawfully performing a credit rating of a sole proprietorship. The company is also ordered to establish procedures for when it is appropriate to perform a credit rating.

 

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The news published here does not constitute official EDPB communication, nor an EDPB endorsement. This news item was originally published by the national supervisory authority and was published here at the request of the SA for information purposes. Any questions regarding this news item should be directed to the supervisory authority concerned.