Case Law · CJEU EN LLM context A cited markdown file you can paste into your AI assistant (ChatGPT, Claude, a RAG or project knowledge base) to ground it in this document. Contains: this document’s text, its sections with their topics, and the full text of every law provision it applies. Everything links back to its source on overview.legal — legal information, not advice.
Lindqvist (CJEU): Church website with co-worker data outside household exemption
Processing for purely personal or household activity: Creating a website for a Church which includes personal information of co-workers, constitutes activities that may be mainly charitable and religious, but are not exempted from data protection law under the ‘exclusively personal or domestic’ exemption. (¶¶ 45–47)
Original title: LINDQUIST, 6.11.2003 (“LINDQUIST”)
Judgment
Full text
summary
Processing for purely personal or household activity: Creating a website for a Church which includes personal information of co-workers, constitutes activities that may be mainly charitable and religious, but are not exempted from data protection law under the ‘exclusively personal or domestic’ exemption. (¶¶ 45–47)
¶45 excerpt
Charitable or religious activities such as those carried out by Mrs Lindqvist cannot be considered equivalent to the activities listed in the first indent of Article 3(2) of Directive 95/46 and are thus not covered by that exception.
¶46 excerpt
As regards the exception provided for in the second indent of Article 3(2) of Directive 95/46, the 12th recital in the preamble to that directive, which concerns that exception, cites, as examples of the processing of data carried out by a natural person in the exercise of activities which are exclusively personal or domestic, correspondence and the holding of records of addresses.
¶47 excerpt
That exception must therefore be interpreted as relating only to activities which are carried out in the course of private or family life of individuals, which is clearly not the case with the processing of personal data consisting in publication on the internet so that those data are made accessible to an indefinite number of people.
How it connects
Related across sources
Opinion 5/2019 interplay between the ePrivacy Directive and the GDPR, in particular regarding the competence, tasks and powers of data protection authorities Opinion ·EDPB Mar 12, 2019 Telecommunications Material scope (GDPR) Supervision
Guidelines 3/2019 processing of personal data through video devices Guidelines ·EDPB Jan 30, 2020 Personal Data Processing Material scope (GDPR)
Guidelines 01/2022 data subject rights - Right of access Guidelines ·EDPB Apr 17, 2023 Right of Access Personal Data Right to Rectification
Opinion 2/2026 EDPB-EDPS Joint opinion 2/2026 on the Proposal for a Regulation as regards the simplification of the digital legislative framework ( EDPB, EDPB-EDPS Joint opinion 2/2026 on the Proposal for a Regulation as regards the simplification of the digital legislative framework (Digital Omnibus) Opinion Feb 11, 2026 Notified Body Reporting and Notification Obligations Notification Obligation Data Breaches
Opinion 2/2026 Proposal for a Directive amending Directives (EU) 2016/2341 and 2016/97 as regards the strengthening of the framework for occupational retirement provision EDPB - EDPS JOINT OPINION 2 /2026 On the Proposal for a Regulation as regards the simplification of the digital legislative framework (Digital Omnibus) Adopted on 1 0 February… Opinion ·EDPS Feb 11, 2026 Notified Body Reporting and Notification Obligations Direct Marketing Data Breaches
Guidelines 05/2021 Interplay between the application of Article 3 and the provisions on international transfers as per Chapter V of the GDPR Guidelines ·EDPB Feb 24, 2023 International Transfer Privacy Shield Processing Agreement