The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled on Tuesday that member states may publish the names of professional athletes found guilty of doping, along with the length and reasons for their suspensions, but only after a case-by-case assessment balancing competing interests.
The judgment, stemming from a challenge brought by four Austrian athletes banned for doping, requires that the publication respect the GDPR and the principle of proportionality, particularly regarding duration. Athletes must also be given the opportunity to file a complaint with the relevant data protection authority before any information is made public.
NADA Austria welcomed the ruling as a signal for transparency and legal certainty, while lawyer Johannes Öhlböck described it as a significant victory for data protection in sport.