AEPD sanctions Diari de Balears for reporting on undercover police

• The Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD) has proposed a €15,000 fine against the digital outlet 'Diari de Balears' for reporting on police officers infiltrating social movements.
• The agency has demanded the censorship and removal of specific articles, a move the outlet has refused, pledging to challenge the decision in court.
• Similar disciplinary proceedings are currently targeting other independent media, including 'La Directa', 'Vilaweb', and 'El Salto'.

Context and Controversy

• The AEPD justifies the sanctions by citing the need to protect the personal data of the police officers involved.
• Media outlets argue the information was already public via social media and that identifying the agents was necessary to prove the validity and public interest of the reports.
• While the AEPD classifies the officers as "undercover agents," outlets point out that Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska previously defined them as "intelligence agents"—a classification that lacks specific legal regulation and requires no judicial oversight.

Legal Action and Implications

• The AEPD reopened the case after initial complaints filed by the officers were dismissed, subsequently launching these sanctioning procedures.
• The targeted media outlets have announced they will exhaust all legal remedies, including taking the case to the European Court of Human Rights if necessary.
• Observers characterize these actions as SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation), involving legally unfounded or exaggerated intimidation tactics used against journalists and civil society organizations.