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Report: La Liga Fined for App Improperly Using Phone Mics to Surveil Fans
June 11, 2019
La Liga have reportedly been fined €250,000 (£222,664) for using their official app to spy on fans.
According to El Pais (h/t Spanish football writer Rik Sharma), the Spanish league did not inform users they were using the microphones in their phones to identify venues that were illegally showing La Liga matches:
La Liga admitted the surveillance last year, but they denied any wrongdoing at the time due to an optional clause for users upon sign-up, per James Cook of the Telegraph.
The Spanish Data Protection Authority has now issued a fine to the country's top division for the practice.
According to El Diario (h/t Cook), the app has been downloaded 10 million times around the world.
The 2018-19 La Liga season only wrapped up las month, with Barcelona being crowned champions for the fourth time in five years. The 2019-20 campaign will kick-off in mid-August.
