(51) Personoplysninger, der i kraft af deres karakter er særligt følsomme i forhold til grundlæggende rettigheder og frihedsrettigheder, bør nyde specifik beskyttelse, da sammenhængen for behandling af dem kan indebære betydelige risici for grundlæggende rettigheder og frihedsrettigheder. Disse personoplysninger bør omfatte personoplysninger om race eller etnisk oprindelse, idet anvendelsen af udtrykket »race« i denne forordning ikke betyder, at Unionen accepterer teorier, der søger at fastslå, at der findes forskellige menneskeracer. Behandling af fotografier bør ikke systematisk anses for at være behandling af særlige kategorier af personoplysninger, eftersom de kun vil være omfattet af definitionen af biometriske data, når de behandles ved en specifik teknisk fremgangsmåde, der muliggør entydig identifikation eller autentifikation af en fysisk person. Sådanne personoplysninger bør ikke behandles, medmindre behandling er tilladt i specifikke tilfælde, der er fastsat i denne forordning, under hensyntagen til at medlemsstaternes nationale ret kan fastsætte specifikke bestemmelser om databeskyttelse for at tilpasse anvendelsen af reglerne i denne forordning med henblik på overholdelse af en retlig forpligtelse eller udførelse af en opgave i samfundets interesse eller henhørende under offentlig myndighedsudøvelse, som den dataansvarlige har fået pålagt. Foruden de specifikke krav til sådan behandling bør de generelle principper og andre regler i denne forordning finde anvendelse, navnlig for så vidt angår betingelserne for lovlig behandling. Der bør udtrykkelig gives mulighed for undtagelser fra det generelle forbud mod behandling af sådanne særlige kategorier af personoplysninger, bl.a. hvis den registrerede giver sit udtrykkelige samtykke eller for så vidt angår specifikke behov, navnlig hvis behandling foretages i forbindelse med visse sammenslutningers eller stiftelsers legitime aktiviteter, hvis formål er at muliggøre udøvelse af grundlæggende frihedsrettigheder.
(51) Personal data which are, by their nature, particularly sensitive in relation to fundamental rights and freedoms merit specific protection as the context of their processing could create significant risks to the fundamental rights and freedoms. Those personal data should include personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, whereby the use of the term ‘racial origin’ in this Regulation does not imply an acceptance by the Union of theories which attempt to determine the existence of separate human races. The processing of photographs should not systematically be considered to be processing of special categories of personal data as they are covered by the definition of biometric data only when processed through a specific technical means allowing the unique identification or authentication of a natural person. Such personal data should not be processed, unless processing is allowed in specific cases set out in this Regulation, taking into account that Member States law may lay down specific provisions on data protection in order to adapt the application of the rules of this Regulation for compliance with a legal obligation or for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller. In addition to the specific requirements for such processing, the general principles and other rules of this Regulation should apply, in particular as regards the conditions for lawful processing. Derogations from the general prohibition for processing such special categories of personal data should be explicitly provided, inter alia, where the data subject gives his or her explicit consent or in respect of specific needs in particular where the processing is carried out in the course of legitimate activities by certain associations or foundations the purpose of which is to permit the exercise of fundamental freedoms.
(52) Der bør også gives mulighed for at fravige forbuddet mod at behandle særlige kategorier af personoplysninger, når det er fastsat i EU-retten eller medlemsstaternes nationale ret og er omfattet af de fornødne garantier, således at personoplysninger og andre grundlæggende rettigheder beskyttes, hvis dette er i samfundets interesse, navnlig behandling af personoplysninger inden for ansættelsesret, socialret, herunder pensioner og med henblik på sundhedssikkerhed, overvågning og varsling, forebyggelse eller kontrol af overførbare sygdomme og andre alvorlige trusler mod sundheden. En sådan fravigelse kan ske til sundhedsformål, herunder folkesundhed og forvaltning af sundhedsydelser, især for at sikre kvaliteten og omkostningseffektiviteten af de procedurer, der anvendes til afregning i forbindelse med ydelser og tjenester inden for sygesikringsordninger, eller til arkivformål i samfundets interesse, til videnskabelige eller historiske forskningsformål eller til statistiske formål. En fravigelse bør desuden gøre det muligt at behandle sådanne personoplysninger, hvis det er nødvendigt, for at retskrav kan fastslås, gøres gældende eller forsvares, uanset om det er i forbindelse med en retssag eller en administrativ eller udenretslig procedure.
(52) Derogating from the prohibition on processing special categories of personal data should also be allowed when provided for in Union or Member State law and subject to suitable safeguards, so as to protect personal data and other fundamental rights, where it is in the public interest to do so, in particular processing personal data in the field of employment law, social protection law including pensions and for health security, monitoring and alert purposes, the prevention or control of communicable diseases and other serious threats to health. Such a derogation may be made for health purposes, including public health and the management of health-care services, especially in order to ensure the quality and cost-effectiveness of the procedures used for settling claims for benefits and services in the health insurance system, or for archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes. A derogation should also allow the processing of such personal data where necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims, whether in court proceedings or in an administrative or out-of-court procedure.
(53) Særlige kategorier af personoplysninger, som bør nyde højere beskyttelse, bør kun behandles til sundhedsmæssige formål, når det er nødvendigt for at opfylde disse formål til gavn for fysiske personer og samfundet som helhed, navnlig i forbindelse med forvaltning af sundheds- eller socialydelser og -systemer, herunder administrationens og centrale nationale sundhedsmyndigheders behandling af sådanne oplysninger med henblik på kvalitetskontrol, ledelsesinformation og det generelle nationale og lokale tilsyn med sundheds- eller socialsystemet, og for at sikre kontinuitet inden for sundheds- eller socialforsorg og sundhedsydelser på tværs af grænserne eller med henblik på sundhedssikkerhed, overvågning og varsling eller til arkivformål i samfundets interesse, til videnskabelige eller historiske forskningsformål eller til statistiske formål baseret på EU-retten eller medlemsstaternes nationale ret, og som skal opfylde et formål af offentlig interesse, samt studier, der foretages i samfundets interesse på folkesundhedsområdet. Denne forordning bør derfor fastsætte harmoniserede betingelser for behandling af særlige kategorier af personoplysninger om helbredsforhold for så vidt angår specifikke behov, navnlig hvis behandlingen af sådanne oplysninger foretages til visse sundhedsmæssige formål af personer, der er underlagt tavshedspligt. EU-retten eller medlemsstaternes nationale ret bør omfatte specifikke og passende foranstaltninger til at beskytte fysiske personers grundlæggende rettigheder og personoplysninger. Medlemsstaterne bør kunne opretholde eller indføre yderligere betingelser, herunder begrænsninger, for behandling af genetiske data, biometriske data eller helbredsoplysninger. Dette bør dog ikke hæmme den frie udveksling af personoplysninger i Unionen, når disse betingelser finder anvendelse på grænseoverskridende behandling af sådanne oplysninger.
(53) Special categories of personal data which merit higher protection should be processed for health-related purposes only where necessary to achieve those purposes for the benefit of natural persons and society as a whole, in particular in the context of the management of health or social care services and systems, including processing by the management and central national health authorities of such data for the purpose of quality control, management information and the general national and local supervision of the health or social care system, and ensuring continuity of health or social care and cross-border healthcare or health security, monitoring and alert purposes, or for archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes, based on Union or Member State law which has to meet an objective of public interest, as well as for studies conducted in the public interest in the area of public health. Therefore, this Regulation should provide for harmonised conditions for the processing of special categories of personal data concerning health, in respect of specific needs, in particular where the processing of such data is carried out for certain health-related purposes by persons subject to a legal obligation of professional secrecy. Union or Member State law should provide for specific and suitable measures so as to protect the fundamental rights and the personal data of natural persons. Member States should be allowed to maintain or introduce further conditions, including limitations, with regard to the processing of genetic data, biometric data or data concerning health. However, this should not hamper the free flow of personal data within the Union when those conditions apply to cross-border processing of such data.
(54) Behandling af særlige kategorier af personoplysninger kan være nødvendig af hensyn til samfundsinteresser hvad angår folkesundhed uden den registreredes samtykke. En sådan behandling bør være underlagt passende og specifikke foranstaltninger med henblik på at beskytte fysiske personers rettigheder og frihedsrettigheder. I denne sammenhæng fortolkes »folkesundhed« som defineret i Europa-Parlamentets og Rådets forordning (EF) nr. 1338/2008 (11), dvs. alle elementer vedrørende sundhed, nemlig helbredstilstand, herunder sygelighed og invaliditet, determinanter med en indvirkning på helbredstilstanden, behov for sundhedspleje, ressourcer tildelt sundhedsplejen, ydelse af og almen adgang til sundhedspleje, udgifter til og finansiering af sundhedspleje samt dødsårsager. Sådan behandling af helbredsoplysninger af hensyn til samfundsinteresser bør ikke medføre, at tredjemænd såsom arbejdsgivere eller forsikringsselskaber og pengeinstitutter behandler personoplysninger til andre formål.
(54) The processing of special categories of personal data may be necessary for reasons of public interest in the areas of public health without consent of the data subject. Such processing should be subject to suitable and specific measures so as to protect the rights and freedoms of natural persons. In that context, ‘public health’ should be interpreted as defined in Regulation (EC) No 1338/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council [11], namely all elements related to health, namely health status, including morbidity and disability, the determinants having an effect on that health status, health care needs, resources allocated to health care, the provision of, and universal access to, health care as well as health care expenditure and financing, and the causes of mortality. Such processing of data concerning health for reasons of public interest should not result in personal data being processed for other purposes by third parties such as employers or insurance and banking companies.
(55) Offentlige myndigheders behandling af personoplysninger med henblik på at forfølge officielt anerkendte religiøse sammenslutningers målsætninger, der er fastsat ved forfatningsretten eller ved folkeretten, foretages også i samfundets interesse.
(55) Moreover, the processing of personal data by official authorities for the purpose of achieving the aims, laid down by constitutional law or by international public law, of officially recognised religious associations, is carried out on grounds of public interest.
(56) Hvis det i forbindelse med afholdelse af valg i en medlemsstat er nødvendigt, for at det demokratiske system kan fungere, at politiske partier indsamler personoplysninger om enkeltpersoners politiske holdninger, kan behandling af sådanne oplysninger tillades af hensyn til varetagelsen af samfundsinteresser, såfremt fornødne garantier er etableret.
(56) Where in the course of electoral activities, the operation of the democratic system in a Member State requires that political parties compile personal data on people's political opinions, the processing of such data may be permitted for reasons of public interest, provided that appropriate safeguards are established.
(EN) The first exception is based on “explicit consent”. Article 9 consent differs from the general notion of consent of article 6 in one important aspect: it must be explicitly provided by the person concerned. It means that the consent must be freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous, under the definition of article 4 (11), and, in addition to these requirements, it must be “explicit”.
What form of consent is considered “explicit” and thus valid under article 9? The sensitive nature of the data involved entails a consent that goes beyond the regular “statement or clear affirmative action” [article 4 (11)] on the part of the data subject. It means that s/he must give “an express statement of consent” (Guidelines on Consent), even in the case where services are provided on a contractual basis. An explicit consent is needed because there is no contract based exceptions in article 9 (2) a controller can rely on.
The Guidelines on Consent suggest that a written statement or even a signed written statement may be required, even though the GDPR does not prescribe such a form of consent. A signed consent may be relevant if health data are collected, for example, in the context of services offered by a private clinic or a convalescent home. A plastic surgeon may need to gather information about a client’s health condition or share medical information to seek a second opinion from one of her/his colleagues. The managers of a convalescent home will have to gather information about a future pensionary’s health condition to arrange the appropriate services needed during her/his stay.
A signed written statement is not as practical in the digital or online environment. How can a person consent if, for example, s/he buys a plane ticket online and requires special medical assistance at boarding time, during the flight or at her/his arrival at destination? A valid consent will also be difficult to obtain if a person places an online order for buying special eyewear as the seller has to collect health-related information about her/his vision and share it with the manufacturer.
Simply following a link or ticking a box might be regarded as an insufficient consent in these examples. The Guidelines on Consent recommend other forms of consent, like filling in an electronic form, using an electronic signature, recording an oral statement or proceeding with a two-step verification (ticking a box in a form and confirming the consent by email afterward, for example).
Article 9 prescribes that a person must consent “for one or more specified purposes”. The requirement goes beyond the “specific” quality of consent required by article 4 (11). Purposes must be clearly specified, which implies that the consent must be tied to specific data or precise categories of data that the controller will be allowed to process.
You must always remember that the GDPR is not a complete statement on the state of the law on data protection in a particular Member State, and it is particularly true here because there is an exception to the exception. Consent is an invalid basis to process special categories of personal data if a Member State prohibits the lifting of the prohibition for processing special categories of personal data by an individual in its national legislation, as the GDPR allows it.