Spanish soccer league LaLiga will be slapped with a quarter of a million euro fine for trying to crack down on illegal broadcasts of their matches.

The football association tapped use of their smartphone app for illicit piracy of premium matches.

Consent clauses

The Spanish Agency for Data Protection (La Agencia de Protección de Datos, or AEPD) has now levied the fine because of violation of GDPR consent clauses.

It believes that LaLiga did not properly disclose the nature of microphone usage on the app.

LaLiga intends to appeal, according to newspaper reports, and defend its use of the technology.

Listening function

However,  LaLiga has agreed to disable the listening function on its Android app, introduced last year with functionality that activates both microphone and GPS when matches are being played.

The league was allegedly trying to pinpoint bars or restaurants broadcasting soccer games illegally.

The app requests user access to the microphone and geolocation service but LaLiga is still believed to be in breach of the GDPR consent clause.