Berlin Data Protection Authority reports AI training without customer consent
Berlin's Data Protection Authority reported that companies used customer data and images to train AI systems without proper consent, and that police officers unlawfully accessed personal data and operated surveillance cameras beyond necessary scope. The authority issued warnings and fines across multiple violations documented in its 2024 annual report.
What happened
Berlin's Data Protection Authority reported in its 2024 annual report that one company used customer communication to train artificial intelligence without informing the customers. Another company offered images from a photo platform for developing AI models without proper disclosure.
The authority also documented that individual police officers unlawfully accessed personal data in the police computer system POLIKS. Police surveillance cameras at the Kottbusser Tor station in Kreuzberg filmed adjacent sidewalk areas and residential building entrances beyond what was necessary.
Reported impact
In 2024, Berliners filed 6,063 complaints or inquiries with the data protection authority, a record high. The authority issued 104 warnings and 164 fines totalling around 80,000 euros across all documented violations.
Index analysis
The authority found systematic transparency failures at companies using AI, with affected people either not informed or insufficiently informed about data use for model training. Meike Kamp, the Data Protection Authority head, stated: 'Whoever does not inform their customers or employees violates the information obligation.'
Governance controls
The authority identified that police surveillance camera placement was disproportionate but stated the police were not obliged to comply with the demand to reduce the filming area. In 50 cases of unlawful police database access, procedures were initiated and 23 fines were issued, though authorities acknowledged the actual number of violations was likely substantially higher.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.