Transparency is the focus of episode 199: Prof. Niko Härting and Dr Stefan Brink discuss an AfD data breach, data protection rights to access information in relation to examinations and SCHUFA credit scoring, as well as the latest developments regarding intelligence services and the protection of journalistic sources.
To begin with, Härting and Brink analyse a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights concerning intelligence services. They also revisit the seizure of audio recordings from *Die Zeit* in connection with the Hamburg ‘Block’ trial.
The discussion then turns to a data leak at the AfD. Among the internal information published are queries of the register of residents regarding first-time voters in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The two discuss the conditions under which political parties are permitted to obtain such data and what errors occurred on the part of both the authorities and the party.
Another topic is access to examination papers. The discussion is prompted by a ruling from the Saxon Higher Administrative Court on whether a law student can request access to exam papers, corrections and marks before attempting to appeal against their marks. The focus is particularly on data protection rights to information and the time limits for fulfilling these requests.
Finally, Härting and Brink examine a ruling by the Federal Court of Justice on SCHUFA scoring. The focus is on the question of what information data subjects may request and the significance of a score’s influence on a specific contractual decision.