The Spanish football league LaLiga has been fined €250,000 after failing to adequately inform users over how their mobile app would be used.
The Spanish Agency for Data Protection (AEPD) said the use of microphone functionality represented a serious breach. The app – designed to provide updates on League 1 and League 2 matches was configured to detect the broadcast of LaLiga matches in a way similar to how music app Shazam might identify a song.
The information was then combined with geolocation data to identify bars that were illegally showing the matches.
It is estimated that some 800 bars around Spain are showing matches without a subscription.
LaLiga argued that for the microphone functionality to be activated the user had to give their express permission on two separate occasions. It says the information collected produces nothing more than a ‘digital fingerprint’ and couldn’t be used to eavesdrop on conversations, neither was the information permanently stored.
