LaLiga fined for spying through the microphone of the mobile
The sanction was applied for using the microphone and the system of geolocation of the users' equipment to spy in search of illegal transmissions of the matches of the Spanish soccer league
The National Professional Football League (LFP) of Spain received a fine of 250,000 euros from the Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD) for using the microphone and geolocation of the users’ equipment to detect illegal transmissions of the matches. It seems that people who downloaded the official application can become spies of LaLiga.
The investigation to LaLiga began about a year ago but it is now that the AEPD issued its verdict. The functionality will be removed from the official app prior to the start of the next season. For its part, the institution ensures that the contract with the supplier has expired and they will not renew it because it was experimental. They assure it has nothing to do with the sanction.
At the time of installing the application, it requests permission to access the microphone and the geolocation system. In this way, when the user is in a public place the microphone of the mobile phone is activated and is used to analyze the ambient sound. Then, it is contrasted with the database to determine if the audio corresponds to a party whose reproduction rights are property of the LFP.
Also, the application uses the geolocation system of the team to locate the place from which the game is broadcast and check if it is a client. According to the AEPD, the function that allows a sound record of the environment where the user is located is understood as the collection of personal data.
To make matters worse, the agency believes that the league has also failed to comply with article 7.3 of the General Data Protection Regulation which indicates that the user should be provided with an option so that when he wishes he can withdraw his consent so that his personal data are used.
L.Sáenz
Source: Welivesecurity
