By
AFP
Published
Jul 4, 2024
The Lithuanian data protection authority has imposed a fine of more than €2.3 million on Vinted, a website specialising in second-hand goods, following complaints lodged in France and elsewhere, announced the Cnil, the watchdog for French people’s digital lives, on Wednesday.
In a press release, the Cnil states that this fine of 2,385,276 euros comes after numerous complaints were lodged against the Lithuanian-based company, particularly in France (its main market in terms of number of customers) from 2020 onwards, “mainly concerning difficulties encountered by individuals in exercising their right to data erasure.”
The French complaints were forwarded to the Lithuanian data protection authority, which is responsible for investigating the case and has imposed penalties on Vinted.
“We fundamentally disapprove of this decision,” Vinted told AFP, believing that it has “no legal basis” and sets “a new precedent that goes beyond both current legislation and industry practice.”
The company has also indicated that it will appeal the decision.
Among the breaches cited, the CNIL said that the platform had not dealt “fairly and transparently” with users’ requests to delete their personal data.
According to the French authority, the platform also implemented a “stealth ban” system, which consists of “making the activity of a user considered to be malicious (who does not respect the platform’s rules) invisible to other users, without the user noticing, with the aim of encouraging the user to leave the platform”. The Cnil considers this method to be “an excessive infringement of users’ rights”.
Finally, Vinted was unable to prove that it had responded correctly to requests for access to customers’ personal data.
This procedure was carried out in cooperation with the Polish, Dutch and German authorities, the Cnil also stated.
Founded in Vilnius in 2008 by Lithuanians Justas Janauskas and Milda Mitkute, the Vinted platform can be accessed via a mobile application or web browser.
The company claims over 100 million members worldwide.
In 2023, it will turn a profit for the first time in its history, and employs more than 2,000 people, the majority of whom are based in Lithuania.
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