LA LIGA HAS been fined by Spain’s national protection agency (AEPD) for privacy breaches relating to its smartphone app. 

The league’s official app — which has been downloaded more than 10 million times and allows football fans to catch up on live scores, the latest news and match highlights — was found guilty of monitoring users’ locations and activating the phones’ microphones without their permission. 

According to Telecompaper.com, their aim was to “to detect fraud in the consumption of football in unauthorised public establishments”.

The AEPD said Spanish football’s top league had broken a number of data protection laws, but La Liga denied any wrongdoing and stated they it would be appealing the €250,000 fine. 

“La Liga disagrees profoundly with this decision, rejects the penalty imposed as unjust, unfounded and disproportionate and considers that the AEPD has not made the necessary efforts to understand how the technology works,” La Liga said in a statement, as reported by Reuters.

“As a result, it will challenge the ruling in court to demonstrate that its actions have always been responsible and in accordance with the law.”

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