What is a competent authority?
A competent authority refers to authorities whose competence includes
- preventing, detecting or investigating criminal offences or referring them for consideration of charges
- consideration of charges and other activities of a prosecutor in relation to a criminal offence
- conviction and sentencing or the execution of criminal penalties
- safeguarding against and preventing threats to public security
Furthermore, the Finnish Defence Forces, the police and the Finnish Border Guard are competent authorities when they perform duties related to national security.
A competent authority processing your personal data is called a controller. Controllers of data concerning you can be, for instance, the police, the Criminal Sanctions Agency, Finnish Customs, the Finnish Defence Forces, courts of law, prosecutors, and the Finnish Border Guard.