Watchdogs don’t need prior approval to seize work emails, EU court opinion says
( October 23, 2025, 08:38 GMT | Official Statement) -- MLex Summary: Employees of businesses that receive unannounced inspections from competition officials can see their work emails confiscated without prior judicial authorization if their content relates to the matter of the investigation, a legal opinion for the EU's top court said on Thursday. EU Advocate General Laila Medina, in her non-binding opinion, said that this kind of seizure is related to business information, and that individuals' privacy is affected only "in an ancillary manner." She added that access to emails is different from confiscation of a mobile phone, as getting hold of such a device would give the watchdog a deeper look into its owner's private life.Conclusions from the Advocate General and press release are attached. Case references are C-258/23; C-259/23; C-260/23. ...
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