Court proceedings began last week in the most blatant breach of data protection Hungary has ever seen, NAIH president Attila Péterfalvi told daily Magyar Hírlap.
The NAIH lanuched an investigation against the Church of Scientology in Hungary in 2016, for multiple breaches of the law and subsequently fined the church HUF 40 million (US$143,000).
“Never before have we seen such a breach. The church has practically breached every single data protection law,” Péterfalvi said.
In 2017 the Tax and Customs Office (NAV) raided the Budapest headquarters of the organization – Scientology lost its status as a state-recognized church in Hungary in 2011 – on the grounds that they have violated the personality rights of their members.
During its investigation the NAIH found that the church illegally kept files on both its members and employees, containing private information which it didn’t even have the right to collect, let alone store.
With regard to its members, the church – beyond personal information – also gathered information on unbecoming conduct regarding its employees, it also collected information on their sexual preferences and circle of friends.
