‘Unprecedented’ caseload for data watchdog
The chair of the data-protection watchdog has described a 45% in the number of cases it received last year as “unprecedented”.
Dr Des Hogan (pictured) was speaking as the Data Protection Commission (DPC) published its annual report for 2025, which showed that it received 16,160 new cases from individuals.
The DPC concluded 11,734 cases – an increase of 12% compared with 2024.
‘Heightened risks’
Dr Hogan said that many people making complaints to the watchdog had used AI, adding to the volume and complexity of the documentation presented.
“At the same time, the scale and complexity of the use of personal data by rapidly advancing AI technologies increased significantly, with heightened risks and harms for individuals,” he stated.
The most common issues raised in by people contacting the DPC were:
- Non-responses to Data Subject Access Requests,
- Concerns relating to the processing of personal data, and
- Issues relating to social-media accounts – many of which, according to the DPC, fell outside the scope of the GDPR.
The report shows that the DPC concluded 208 valid cross-border cases as lead supervisory authority in the EU and EEA – an increase of 43%.
Legislative input
It also notes “steady growth” in the amount of legislation on which the DPC is providing input and observations – 77 pieces of legislation, compared with 56 the previous year.
The commission completed 275 electronic direct-marketing investigations during the year – an 88% increase. It issued 50 warning letters to companies on foot of unsolicited marketing communications.
The DPC imposed administrative fines worth €530.8 million last year – including two fines totalling €530 million on TikTok that were linked to the platform’s transfer of user data to China.
This brought the total amount of fines imposed by the commission since 2018 to just over €4 billion.