PERSONAL DATA PROCESSING ACTIVITIES OF SOME WEBSITES AND MOBILE APPLICATIONS WERE DECIDED TO BE TERMINATED IMMEDIATELY

Pursuant to the Article 15/6 of the Law on Protection of Personal Data, the Personal Data Protection Board has a right to make principle decisions if it is determined that there is a widespread breach of the Law as a result of reviews conducted upon complaints or ex officio. Within this scope, two principle decisions were published within the Official Gazette on 25.1.2018.

With the decision of 2017/61, it was resolved that the data processing activities of websites and mobile applications which are providing communication information of persons without a legal basis shall be terminated immediately. Otherwise it was set out within the decision that applications shall be made to relevant authorities for block of access and the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office for obtaining data illegally.

For the reasons explained above, the real and legal owners of websites and applications which are providing communication information of persons within the scope of their activities should determine whether they have a legal basis for processing data as per the Law numbered 6698 and related legislation and terminate their activities until they have complied with the related legislation if it is determined that their activities do not have a legal ground. Otherwise access to their websites and mobile applications will be blocked and application to the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office will be made pursuant to Article 136 of the Turkish Criminal Code.