In a recent case, the Administration of the Folketing (Danish Parliament) has had to apologize to several members of parliament after unjustly searching through their emails. This step was taken in an attempt to identify a possible violation of a name ban in a legal case, which has caused great concern and criticism. Torben Skovgaard Andersen, deputy director of the Folketing Administration, has publicly apologized for the incident and acknowledged that the action was erroneous. “It is a very regrettable case, which we apologize to those involved,” he stated.
The Attorney General has subsequently investigated the case and concluded that the email search was not in line with the applicable rules. As a result, the Presidium of the Folketing and the Committee of Rules of Procedure have now received a report pointing to the need to tighten internal procedures. The Speaker of the Folketing, Søren Gade (V), has expressed satisfaction that the administration is now taking steps to correct the mistake and strengthen areas such as GDPR and compliance. “I note that the administration has both apologized for the incident in question and is now implementing the recommendations of the report on tightening in the area,” he said.
In order to restore trust between the members of the Folketing and its administration, several changes will be made to ensure a more robust handling of personal data and compliance with the law. This case has raised important questions about privacy and proper handling of sensitive information, which the Folketing Administration is now actively working to address.