GDPR Art. 11 EN
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Processing which does not require identification

Identification
In force — consolidated2016-05-04 · CELEX 02016R0679-20160504 · ELI ↗
Version history 2
  • 2016-05-04in force CELEX 02016R0679-20160504
  • 2016-04-27 CELEX 32016R0679
  1. 1.

    If the purposes for which a controller processes personal data do not or do no longer require the identification of a data subject by the controller, the controller shall not be obliged to maintain, acquire or process additional information in order to identify the data subject for the sole purpose of complying with this Regulation.

    Identification Personal Data Controllers 59
  2. 2.

    Where, in cases referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article, the controller is able to demonstrate that it is not in a position to identify the data subject, the controller shall inform the data subject accordingly, if possible. In such cases, Articles 15 to 20 shall not apply except where the data subject, for the purpose of exercising his or her rights under those articles, provides additional information enabling his or her identification.

    Identification Personal Data Controllers 35

Enforcement

Cited in 7 fines totalling €106K

Top authority: 🇪🇺Hellenic Data Protection Authority (HDPA) (6) · median fine €15,000 · see all enforcement for Art. 11 →

Connections by provision

11(1) 51 Case Law 8 Guidance .md
Case Law 51
Judgment of the Court (Third Chamber), 7 November 2013.#Institut professionnel des agents immobiliers (IPI) v Geoffrey Englebert and Others.#Request for a preliminary ruling from the Cour constitutionnelle (Belgium).#Processing of personal data — Directive 95/46/EC — Articles 10 and 11 — Obligation to inform — Article 13(1)(d) and (g) — Exceptions — Scope of exceptions — Private detectives acting for the supervisory body of a regulated profession — Directive 2002/58/EC — Article 15(1).#Case C‑47 Judgment of the Court (Fifth Chamber) of 10 March 2016.#Safe Interenvios, SA v Liberbank, SA and Others.#Request for a preliminary ruling from the Audiencia Provincial de Barcelona.#Reference for a preliminary ruling — Prevention of the use of the financial system for the purpose of money laundering and terrorist financing — Directive 2005/60/EC — Customer due diligence measures — Directive 2007/64/EC — Payment services in the internal market.#Case C-235/14. Judgment of the Court (Second Chamber) of 27 September 2017.#Peter Puškár v Finančné riaditeľstvo Slovenskej republiky and Kriminálny úrad finančnej správy.#Request for a preliminary ruling from the Najvyšší súd Slovenskej republiky.#Reference for a preliminary ruling — Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union — Articles 7, 8 and 47 — Directive 95/46/EC — Articles 1, 7 and 13 — Processing of personal data — Article 4(3) TEU — Drawing up of a list of personal data — Subject matter — Ta Judgment of the Court (Grand Chamber) of 6 October 2020.#État luxembourgeois v B and Others.#Requests for a preliminary ruling from the Cour administrative (Luxembourg).#References for a preliminary ruling – Directive 2011/16/EU – Administrative cooperation in the field of taxation – Articles 1 and 5 – Decision ordering that information be provided to the competent authority of a Member State, acting in response to a request for exchange of information from the competent authority of another Mem Judgment of the Court (Grand Chamber) of 21 June 2022.#Ligue des droits humains ASBL v Conseil des ministres.#Request for a preliminary ruling from the Cour constitutionnelle.#Reference for a preliminary ruling – Processing of personal data – Passenger Name Record (PNR) data – Regulation (EU) 2016/679 – Article 2(2)(d) – Scope – Directive (EU) 2016/681 – Use of PNR data of air passengers of flights operated between the European Union and third countries – Power to include data of air passengers Judgment of the Court (Grand Chamber) of 22 November 2022.#WM and Sovim SA v Luxembourg Business Registers.#Requests for a preliminary ruling from the Tribunal d'arrondissement de Luxembourg.#Reference for a preliminary ruling – Prevention of the use of the financial system for the purposes of money laundering or terrorist financing – Directive (EU) 2018/843 amending Directive (EU) 2015/849 – Amendment to Article 30(5), first subparagraph, point (c), of Directive 2015/849 – Access for any member SMARANDA BARA ET AL. V. PRESEDINTELE CASEI NATIONALE DE ASIGURARI DE SANATATE (CNAS) ET AL., 1.10.2015 (“BARA”) Rb. Noord-Holland - AWB-20 2618 +43 more
Guidance 8
Guidelines 05/2022 on the use of facial recognition technology in the area of law enforcement Guidelines 01/2022 on data subject rights - Right of access Guidelines 03/2021 on the application of Article 65(1)(a) GDPR Joint Guidelines on the Interplay between the Digital Markets Act and the General Data Protection Regulation EDPB-EDPS Joint Opinion 01/2023 on the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down additional procedural rules relating to the enforcement of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 EDPB-EDPS Joint Opinion 03/2021 on the Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on European data governance (Data Governance Act) ¶146 EDPB-EDPS Joint Opinion 03/2021 on the Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on European data governance (Data Governance Act) ¶37 EDPB-EDPS Joint Opinion 03/2021 on the Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on European data governance (Data Governance Act)
11(2) 18 Case Law 16 Guidance 1 Literature .md
Case Law 18
Judgment of the Court (First Chamber) of 9 January 2025.#Österreichische Datenschutzbehörde v F R.#Request for a preliminary ruling from the Verwaltungsgerichtshof.#Reference for a preliminary ruling – Protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data – Regulation (EU) 2016/679 – Article 57(1)(f) and Article 57(4) – Tasks of the supervisory authority – Concepts of a ‘request’ and ‘excessive requests’ – Charging of a reasonable fee or refusal to act on requests in the e Judgment of the Court (First Chamber) of 12 January 2023.#RW v Österreichische Post AG.#Request for a preliminary ruling from the Oberster Gerichtshof.#Reference for a preliminary ruling – Protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data – Regulation (EU) 2016/679 – Article 15(1)(c) – Data subject’s right of access to his or her data – Information about the recipients or categories of recipient to whom the personal data have been or will be disclosed – Restrictions.#C SMARANDA BARA ET AL. V. PRESEDINTELE CASEI NATIONALE DE ASIGURARI DE SANATATE (CNAS) ET AL., 1.10.2015 (“BARA”) CJEU - C-205/21 - Ministerstvo na vatreshnite raboti Judgment of the Court (Fifth Chamber) of 10 March 2016.#Safe Interenvios, SA v Liberbank, SA and Others.#Request for a preliminary ruling from the Audiencia Provincial de Barcelona.#Reference for a preliminary ruling — Prevention of the use of the financial system for the purpose of money laundering and terrorist financing — Directive 2005/60/EC — Customer due diligence measures — Directive 2007/64/EC — Payment services in the internal market.#Case C-235/14. Judgment of the Court (Fifth Chamber) of 26 January 2023.#Criminal proceedings against V.S.#Request for a preliminary ruling from the Spetsializiran nakazatelen sad.#Reference for a preliminary ruling – Protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data – Directive (EU) 2016/680 – Article 4(1)(a) to (c) – Principles relating to processing of personal data – Purpose limitation – Data minimisation – Article 6(a) – Clear distinction between personal data of different categ Judgment of the Court (Grand Chamber) of 21 June 2022.#Ligue des droits humains ASBL v Conseil des ministres.#Request for a preliminary ruling from the Cour constitutionnelle.#Reference for a preliminary ruling – Processing of personal data – Passenger Name Record (PNR) data – Regulation (EU) 2016/679 – Article 2(2)(d) – Scope – Directive (EU) 2016/681 – Use of PNR data of air passengers of flights operated between the European Union and third countries – Power to include data of air passengers ¶6 Judgment of the Court (First Chamber) of 12 January 2023.#RW v Österreichische Post AG.#Request for a preliminary ruling from the Oberster Gerichtshof.#Reference for a preliminary ruling – Protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data – Regulation (EU) 2016/679 – Article 15(1)(c) – Data subject’s right of access to his or her data – Information about the recipients or categories of recipient to whom the personal data have been or will be disclosed – Restrictions.#C +10 more
Guidance 16
Article 29 Working Party - Guidelines on transparency under Regulation 2016/679 Opinion 07/2025 regarding the European Commission Draft Implementing Decision pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2016/679 on the adequate protection of personal data by the European Patent Organisation EDPB-EDPS Joint Opinion 01/2023 on the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down additional procedural rules relating to the enforcement of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 EDPB-EDPS Joint Opinion 03/2021 on the Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on European data governance (Data Governance Act) Statement 1/2023 on the first review of the functioning of the adequacy decision for Japan EDPB-EDPS Joint Opinion 2/2022 on the Proposal of the European Parliament and of the Council on harmonised rules on fair access to and use of data (Data Act) Guidelines 02/2022 on the application of Article 60 GDPR Contribution of the EDPB to the evaluation of the GDPR under Article 97 +8 more
Literature 1
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it? Ten improvements for the upcoming tenth anniversary of the General Data Protection Regulation

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