Chapter 9 · Specific Processing Situations

Article 90Obligations of secrecy

All 99 Articles Chapter 9: Specific Processing Situations

Member states may set rules on DPAs' powers where controllers or processors are subject to professional secrecy obligations, such as lawyers or doctors.

Official text & source

Article 90 of the General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679). Read the full, authoritative text on EUR-Lex.

Official text on EUR-Lex

Official text

Verbatim text of Article 90 of the General Data Protection Regulation — Regulation (EU) 2016/679.

1 Member States may adopt specific rules to set out the powers of the supervisory authorities laid down in points (e) and (f) of Article 58 (1) in relation to controllers or processors that are subject, under Union or Member State law or rules established by national competent bodies, to an obligation of professional secrecy or other equivalent obligations of secrecy where this is necessary and proportionate to reconcile the right of the protection of personal data with the obligation of secrecy. 2 Those rules shall apply only with regard to personal data which the controller or processor has received as a result of or has obtained in an activity covered by that obligation of secrecy.

Each Member State shall notify to the Commission the rules adopted pursuant to paragraph 1, by 25 May 2018 and, without delay, any subsequent amendment affecting them.

Source: Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (OJ L 119, 4.5.2016, p. 1). Official text reproduced from EUR-Lex — © European Union. Only European Union legislation published in the Official Journal is deemed authentic.

Related articles

These summaries are a plain-English orientation only and are not a substitute for the official text of the Regulation or for legal advice.

Need to apply Article 90?

Our data-protection lawyers turn the text into a plan.

Talk to a lawyer