The Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection issued a warning to the Center for Protection of Infants, Children and Youth because of irregularities in the processing of personal data, as the Center recorded telephone calls within the counseling services, without the legal authorization or consent of the person who’s data was recorded on all three lines - SOS Helpline for women with experience of violence, SOS Helpline for children and Parents Helpline.
In July 2019, the Autonomous Women's Center asked the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection whether recording a conversation without informing the caller is contrary to the Personal Data Protection Act? This practice is also contrary to the general standard for SOS Helpline services on confidentiality of calls.
The Commissioner has found an irregularity (Monition issued on 10.15.2019.), based on the Art 56, paragraph 1, and concerning the Art 97 of the Personal Data Protection Act. The Commissioner notified AWC (with the letter issued on 19.12.2019.) that Center for Protection of Infants, Children and Youth sent the information on acting upon the Monition (2.12.2019.), that is, the measures taken to remedy the identified irregularities, which include an automatic message before the operator respond on all three SOS Helplines.
To remind, after the publication of the first Independent report on the activities of the newly formed National SOS Helpline for women with experience of violence, Center for Protection of Infants, Children and Youth has refused to provide the AWC with information of public importance containing basic information on the operation of this line. The AWC also appealed to the Commissioner on this occasion, to which the answer is still pending.
The Commissioner's information on the monition sent to the Center for Protection of Infants, Children and Youth can be found in Serbian language here.
The first Independent report on the activities of the newly formed National SOS Helpline for women with experience of violence can be seen here.