Suomen Numerokeskus fined for failing to provide call recordings
The Sanctions Board of the Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman has imposed a fine of EUR 5,000 on Suomen Numerokeskus Oy, as the company systematically failed to comply with customers’ right to access recordings of customer calls. The company also deleted the call recordings despite requests from customers to review them.
The Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman investigated the activities of Suomen Numerokeskus on the basis of six complaints received between 2021 and 2024. The individuals stated that the company had refused to provide them with recordings of customer calls, which they had requested in order to dispute their bills.
The investigation revealed that Suomen Numerokeskus had systematically failed to provide call recordings to those who had requested them. By law, a copy of the call recording must be provided, such as an audio file or a transcript that fully corresponds to the call. Simply having the opportunity to listen is therefore not enough.
The company also deleted the recordings despite the fact that the customers had asked to review the content of the calls.
“The right to access the content of a call is important for people’s legal protection, particularly in situations where a customer needs to be able to verify, to a sufficient degree, what was agreed during the call,” says Deputy Data Protection Ombudsman Heljä-Tuulia Pihamaa.
The unlawful practice continued despite the Data Protection Ombudsman's investigation
The Sanctions Board considers the conduct of Suomen Numerokeskus to be particularly reprehensible due to its systematic nature. It considers this to have been the company's established practice. Furthermore, the company took no steps to rectify practices, despite the Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman sending it several requests for clarification.
“The company should have been aware of the rules governing the disclosure of telephone recordings.” “This policy has been well established for years,” says Pihamaa.
In addition to an administrative fine, the company was issued with a warning for breaching data protection legislation and was ordered to rectify its practices regarding call recordings. The decisions is not yet final and can be appealed to the Administrative Court.
Further information:
Deputy Data Protection Ombudsman Heljä-Tuulia Pihamaa, tel. +358 29 566 6787, helja-tuulia.pihamaa(at)om.fi
For organisations: Right of access