Union level complaint concerning mandatory broadcasting levy and related data processing practices

This complaint concerns the mandatory broadcasting levy system administered by the ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio Contribution Service.

Personal data are transferred from municipal population registers to the contribution service without direct consent of the data subject.

The transferred data include names, addresses and relocation information.

This practice raises legal concerns under the General Data Protection Regulation including:

• Article 5 GDPR – data minimisation
• Article 6 GDPR – lack of legal basis
• Articles 13 and 14 GDPR – transparency obligations
• Article 21 GDPR – right to object

The issue also raises questions concerning fundamental rights under the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.