France’s DPA fines Orange €50 million for unsolicited ads

France’s Data Protection Authority (the CNIL) has fined the French telecommunications operator Orange 50 million euros for failure to obtain the consent of individuals to receive ads by electronic means.

The CNIL says that Orange email customers had been sent advertising messages in the form of emails (among incoming emails), without their consent. Orange is France's leading telecommunications operator and 7.8 million people had received ads, the CNIL says.

A spokesperson for Orange said that the company will appeal the decision before the State Council (Conseil d’Etat): ‘Orange wishes to underline that the actions sanctioned do not involve a violation or breach of data security but reflect common market practices that do not engage any exploitation of customers' personal data.’

‘This sanction is all the more incomprehensible as Orange had not received any prior warning or peremptory notice on this matter.’

See:

• CNIL - Advertisements inserted among emails: ORANGE fined €50 million