The Turkish Data Protection Authority published on its official website a public announcement concerning the sharing of debt information by creditors' attorneys through accessing the telephone numbers of relatives of debtors, on 20 August 2025.
The Turkish Data Protection Authority ("Authority") received numerous notifications and complaints regarding creditors' attorneys accessing the telephone numbers of relatives of debtors and sharing the personal data of the relevant individuals, including their name, surname, and debt information.
The Authority assessed that, in the absence of the explicit consent of the data subject or the presence of any personal data processing condition applicable to the specific case, accessing the information of debtors' relatives by creditors' attorneys for the purpose of sharing debt information, as well as the processing of personal data of unrelated third parties who are relatives of the debtor, constitutes a violation of the Law on the Protection of Personal Data No. 6698 ("DP Law"). It was further underlined that, depending on the specific circumstances, such violations may be subject to administrative fines.
The Authority emphasized that in the course of professional activities conducted by creditors' attorneys for the collection of debts, any processing of the personal data of debtors as well as of third parties who are relatives of debtors but not directly concerned must be carried out in full compliance with the DP Law.
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