Judgment of the Court (Grand Chamber) of 6 October 2020

La Quadrature du Net and Others v Premier ministre and Others

Requests for a preliminary ruling from the Conseil d'État (France) and Cour constitutionnelle (Belgium)

Reference for a preliminary ruling – Processing of personal data in the electronic communications sector – Providers of electronic communications services – Hosting service providers and Internet access providers – General and indiscriminate retention of traffic and location data – Automated analysis of data – Real-time access to data – Safeguarding national security and combating terrorism – Combating crime – Directive 2002/58/EC – Scope – Article 1(3) and Article 3 – Confidentiality of electronic communications – Protection – Article 5 and Article 15(1) – Directive 2000/31/EC – Scope – Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union – Articles 4, 6, 7, 8 and 11 and Article 52(1) – Article 4(2) TEU

Joined Cases C-511/18, C-512/18 and C-520/18


Top of the page Documents in the Case
Document Date Name of the parties Subject-matter Curia EUR-Lex Autres Liens
Judgment (OJ)
27/11/2020 La Quadrature du Net and Others
Approximation of laws
  • Approximation of laws
  • Telecommunications
  • Fundamental rights
  • - Charter of Fundamental Rights
  • Principles, objectives and tasks of the Treaties
EUR-Lex text EUR-Lex bilingual text
Order
ECLI:EU:C:2020:929		 16/11/2020 La Quadrature du Net and Others
Approximation of laws
  • Approximation of laws
  • Telecommunications
  • Fundamental rights
  • - Charter of Fundamental Rights
  • Principles, objectives and tasks of the Treaties
Available in :
EUR-Lex text EUR-Lex bilingual text
Judgment
ECLI:EU:C:2020:791		 06/10/2020 La Quadrature du Net and Others
Approximation of laws
  • Approximation of laws
  • Telecommunications
  • Fundamental rights
  • - Charter of Fundamental Rights
  • Principles, objectives and tasks of the Treaties
EUR-Lex text EUR-Lex bilingual text
Abstract
ECLI:EU:C:2020:791		 06/10/2020 La Quadrature du Net and Others
Approximation of laws
  • Approximation of laws
  • Telecommunications
  • Fundamental rights
  • - Charter of Fundamental Rights
  • Principles, objectives and tasks of the Treaties
EUR-Lex text EUR-Lex bilingual text
Application (OJ)
12/10/2018 La Quadrature du Net and Others
Approximation of laws
  • Approximation of laws
  • Telecommunications
  • Fundamental rights
  • - Charter of Fundamental Rights
  • Principles, objectives and tasks of the Treaties
EUR-Lex text EUR-Lex bilingual text
Request for a preliminary ruling
03/08/2018 La Quadrature du Net and Others
Approximation of laws
  • Approximation of laws
  • Telecommunications
  • Fundamental rights
  • - Charter of Fundamental Rights
  • Principles, objectives and tasks of the Treaties
EUR-Lex text EUR-Lex bilingual text
Opinion
ECLI:EU:C:2020:6		 15/01/2020 La Quadrature du Net and Others
Approximation of laws
  • Approximation of laws
  • Telecommunications
  • Fundamental rights
  • - Charter of Fundamental Rights
  • Principles, objectives and tasks of the Treaties
EUR-Lex text EUR-Lex bilingual text
Top of the page Legal analysis of the decision or of the case

Reports of Cases

not yet published (Court Reports - general)

Subject-matter

Information not available

Systematic classification scheme

1.
-
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.11 Approximation of laws
    4.11.11 Information and communication technologies
      4.11.11.01 Telecommunications
-
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.11 Approximation of laws
    4.11.11 Information and communication technologies
      4.11.11.01 Telecommunications
-
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.11 Approximation of laws
    4.11.11 Information and communication technologies
      4.11.11.01 Telecommunications
-
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.11 Approximation of laws
    4.11.01 Protection of personal data
-
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.11 Approximation of laws
    4.11.11 Information and communication technologies
      4.11.11.01 Telecommunications
-
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.11 Approximation of laws
    4.11.11 Information and communication technologies
      4.11.11.02 Information society
-
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.11 Approximation of laws
    4.11.11 Information and communication technologies
      4.11.11.01 Telecommunications


Citations of case-law or legislation

References in grounds of judgment

Operative part

Opinion


Dates

Date of the lodging of the application initiating proceedings

  • 03/08/2018

Date of the Opinion

  • 15/01/2020

Date of the hearing

Information not available

Date of delivery

06/10/2020


References

Publication in the Official Journal

Information not available

Name of the parties

La Quadrature du Net and Others

Notes on Academic Writings

  1. Simon, Denys: Droits fondamentaux - Protection des données, Europe 2020, n° 12 Décembre, Comm. 374 (FR)
  2. Caiola, Antonio: Transmission et conservation des données en rapport avec la sécurité nationale : précisions et nuances émergeant dans la jurisprudence / Transmission and retention of data in relation to national security : clarifications and nuances emerging in case law, Revue des affaires européennes 2020 n° 4 p. 923-933 (EN, FR)
  3. Azoulai, Loïc ; Ritleng, Dominique: « L'État, c'est moi ». Le Conseil d'État, la sécurité et la conservation des données, Revue trimestrielle de droit européen 2021 p. 349-379 (FR)
  4. Nino, Michele: La disciplina internazionale ed europea della data retention dopo le sentenze Privacy International e La Quadrature du Net della Corte di giustizia UE, Il diritto dell'Unione Europea 2021 p. 93-124 (IT)
  5. Bergholm, Jenny: The Data Retention Saga Continued – from Tele2 Sverige to Privacy International and La Quadrature du Net, Tidskrift Utgiven av Juridiska föreningen i Finland 2021 Vol. 2 p. 111-139 (EN)
  6. Beijer, Malu: De arresten Privacy International en La Quadrature du Net e.a.: rechtspraak van het Hof van Justitie over dataretentie in een vernieuwd jasje? : zaak C-623/17, Privacy International, S.E.W. : Tijdschrift voor Europees en economisch recht 2021 p. 367-374 (NL)
  7. Cameron, Iain: Metadata retention and national security : Privacy International and La Quadrature du Net : Case C-623/17, Common Market Law Review 2021 p. 1433-1472 (EN)
  8. Tinière, Romain: III. Droits fondamentaux - Cour de justice, gde ch., 6 octobre 2020, La Quadrature du Net e.a., aff. jtes C-511/18, C-512/18 et C-520/18, ECLI:EU:C:2020:791, Jurisprudence de la CJUE 2020. Décisions et commentaires (Ed. Bruylant - Bruxelles) 2021, p. 130-139 (FR)
  9. Castets-Renard, Céline: XXII. Données personnelles - Cour de justice, gde ch., 6 octobre 2020, La Quadrature du Net e.a., aff. jtes C-511/18, C-512/18 et C-520/18, ECLI:EU:C:2020:791, Jurisprudence de la CJUE 2020. Décisions et commentaires (Ed. Bruylant - Bruxelles) 2021, p. 1091-1100 (FR)
  10. Rojszczak, Marcin: National security and retention of telecommunications data in light of recent case law of the European Courts, European Constitutional Law Review 2021 Vol. 17 Issue 4 p. 607-635 (EN)
  11. Bertrand, Brunessen: Les enjeux de la surveillance numérique, Revue trimestrielle de droit européen 2021, n° 1, p. 175-180 (FR)
  12. Bertrand, Brunessen: Le champ d'application du droit européen du numérique, Revue trimestrielle de droit européen 2021, n° 1, p. 181-187 (FR)
  13. Sirinelli, Jean: La protection des données de connexion par la Cour de justice : cartographie d'une jurisprudence européenne inédite, Revue trimestrielle de droit européen 2021, n° 2, p. 313-330 (FR)
  14. De Terwangne, Cécile: L’illégalité nuancée de la surveillance numérique : la réponse des juridictions belge et française à l’arrêt La Quadrature du Net de la Cour de justice de l’Union européenne, Revue trimestrielle des droits de l'homme 2022 n° 129 p. 3-27 (FR)
  15. Tzanou, Maria ; Karyda, Spyridoula: Privacy International and Quadrature du Net : one step forward two steps back in the data retention saga? : case C-623/17 Privacy International v. Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and Others , joined cases C-511/18, C-512/18 and C-520/18 La Quadrature du Net and Others v. Premier Ministre and Others, European Public Law 2022, n° 1, p. 123-154 (EN)
  16. Eskens, Sarah Johanna: The ever-growing complexity of the data retention discussion in the EU : an in-depth review of La Quadrature du Net and others and Privacy International : joined cases C-511/18, C-512/18 and C-520/18 La Quadrature du Net and others [2020], case C-623/17 Privacy International, European Data Protection Law Review 2022 Vol. 8 nº 1 p. 143-155 (EN)
  17. Zalnieriute, Monika: A Struggle for Competence: National Security, Surveillance and the Scope of EU Law at the Court of Justice of European Union, The Modern Law Review 2022, n° 1, p. 198-218 (EN)
  18. Cahn, Olivier: Arrêt French Data Network e.a. Le Conseil d’État, effronté du dialogue des juges (CJUE [gde ch.], 6 octobre 2020, aff. C-623/17, C-511/18, C-512/18 et C-520/18 et CE [ass.], 21 avril 2021, nos 393099, 394922, 397844, 397851, 424717 et 424718), Revue du droit de l'Union européenne 2022 nº 1 p. 231-241 (FR)
  19. Salomon, Stefan ; Rijpma, Jorrit: A Europe Without Internal Frontiers: Challenging the Reintroduction of Border Controls in the Schengen Area in the Light of Union Citizenship, German Law Journal 2023, Vol. 24, n° 2, p. 281-309 (EN)
  20. Robinson, Gavin: Targeted Retention of Communications Metadata: Future-proofing the Fight Against Serious Crime in Europe?, European Papers 2023, Vol. 8, n° 2, p. 713-740 (EN)
  21. Andriantsimbazovina, Joël: 31. Droit à la protection des données à caractère personnel - Proportionnalité des atteintes - Limitations possibles - Sécurité publique. CJUE, gr. ch., 8 avr. 2014, n° C-293/12, C-594/12, Digital Rights Ireland Ltd e.a. et CJUE, gr. ch., 6 oct. 2020, n° C-511/18, C-512/18 et C-520/18, La Quadrature du Net e.a., Les grands arrêts de la Cour de justice de l'Union européenne. Droit constitutionnel et institutionnel de l'Union européenne (Dalloz, 2e édition) 2023, p. 514-524 (FR)



Procedural Analysis Information

Source of the question referred for a preliminary ruling

Conseil d'État - France

Subject-matter

  • Approximation of laws
  • Telecommunications
  • Fundamental rights
  • - Charter of Fundamental Rights
  • Principles, objectives and tasks of the Treaties

Provisions of national law referred to

Information not available

Provisions of international law referred to

Information not available

Procedure and result

  • Reference for a preliminary ruling

Formation of the Court

grande chambre (Cour)

Judge-Rapporteur

von Danwitz

Advocate General

Campos Sánchez-Bordona

Language(s) of the Case

  • French

Language(s) of the Opinion

  • Spanish