PL

Methodology

Structure of each card

Each of the 33 cards is structured into 14 sections:

  1. Metadata — country, years, fine, legal basis
  2. TL;DR — 500–800 word summary
  3. Timeline — chronology of key events
  4. Mechanism — how the practice worked, technically
  5. Discovery — who uncovered it, and how
  6. Key people — dramatis personae
  7. Company response — public position
  8. Legal proceedings — jurisdictions, legal basis
  9. Fines and settlements — tabular summary
  10. Precedents and implications — impact on law and practice
  11. Class actions — collective civil suits and settlements
  12. Conclusions for citizens — what this means for me, how to protect myself
  13. Context — anecdotes, Polish dimension, ambient signal
  14. Sources — links and citations to primary documents

Inclusion criteria

A case is included in the database if it meets at least one of:

  • Documented financial penalty imposed by a regulator
  • Formal regulatory or judicial proceeding
  • Disclosure by a credible media outlet or whistleblower, confirmed by multiple sources
  • Significant legal or regulatory precedent

Verification

All fine amounts and dates are verified against at least two independent sources. Primary documents (regulator decisions, court records) take precedence over media reports.

Updates

The database is updated when:

  • New disclosures or documents emerge
  • New rulings or regulator decisions are issued
  • Key facts change (e.g. a fine is overturned or reduced on appeal)

The last-updated date of each card is visible in the metadata panel.

Polish perspective

The portal was created primarily for a Polish audience. Each card, where possible, includes a "Polish dimension" section describing the case’s impact on Polish users, regulators (UODO) and organizations (Panoptykon Foundation).

What the database does not do

  • It does not predict outcomes of ongoing legal proceedings
  • It does not assign legal guilt — it describes facts and documents
  • It does not update in real time — this is a reference base, not a news channel

Language and translation policy

The primary source of truth for each card is the Polish text in src/content/cases/*.md. English translations, where available, are derived from the Polish. When in doubt, the Polish text is authoritative.