By John Ensor • Published: 26 Feb 2024 • 16:11
Image of a DNI. Credit: Government of Spain/Public domain
Spanish authorities have cautioned the public to safeguard their identification details against a common practice that could compromise the individual’s safety and result in hefty fines for businesses.
The Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD), has issued a stark warning against the habitual request for photocopies or photographs of the National Identity Document (DNI/NIE), labelling it a risky practice that could infringe on individual privacy.
A frequent practice amongst various institutions, ranging from public institutions to hotels and banks, demand copies of one’s DNI/NIE, a move that has caught the attention of the AEPD.
Notably, telecom giant Orange faced a hefty €100,000 fine for insisting on photocopies of both sides of the DNI/NIE for package delivery.
The AEPD emphasises the ‘data minimisation’ principle, advocating for less intrusive identification methods over the unnecessary collection of personal data.
The personal identification card holds sensitive information that could, if mishandled, facilitate cybercrime and scams. The agency criticises the unjustified collection of DNI/NIE photocopies, highlighting the potential adverse effects on data owners.
The AEPD’s guidance is clear: alternative identification methods should be prioritised to safeguard citizen privacy.
This stance echoes the broader, global conversation on data protection and privacy, urging businesses to reconsider their data handling practices.
With fines reaching up to €100,000, the message is unambiguous—companies must align with data protection regulations or face significant penalties.
The AEPD’s warning serves as a crucial reminder in an era where data privacy is paramount. Requesting DNI/NIE photocopies or photos not only undermines privacy but also breaches security principles.
As the landscape of data protection evolves, it is imperative for companies and institutions to heed this advice, ensuring the privacy and security of personal information.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. Do remember to come back and check The Euro Weekly News website for all your up-to-date local and international news stories and remember, you can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
Share this story
Subscribe to our Euro Weekly News alerts to get the latest stories into your inbox!
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don't already have one. Review our Privacy Policy for more information about our privacy practices.
Originally from Doncaster, Yorkshire, John now lives in Galicia, Northern Spain with his wife Nina. He is passionate about news, music, cycling and animals.
I am pleased to see this article because every orginisation I have ever dealt with keep asking for these documents and more and many for trivial reasons and it has always annoyed me. So I will copy this article and see what happens when I refuse to provide this information.
A good article. Living in Torrevieja, when asked about ID, I present them with my Torrevieja Citizen Card/Bus pass that has a photo embedded and NIE number in very large font. Alas as we know, the green Residencia Card does not have a photo.
Then change it for the TIE! Simples! 🤔👊
Helpful post, will share via https://www.facebook.com/ageinspain/.
This has become more frequent especially with everything being online, recent applications for employment have asked for copies. Surely as long as you give them your DNI/NIE number that should be sufficient.
Comments are closed.
Download our media pack in either English or Spanish.