Madeline O'Brien  
by email only: ask+request-10898-
xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx 
 
 
 
Dear Mrs O'Brien, 
 
I am writing in reply to your email of 25 March 2022 to the European Data Protection 
Supervisor (EDPS), regarding your specific request on data protection of deceased persons.  
 
Please note, that dead people are not covered by the scope of the General Data Protection 
Regulation (GDPR). See the Recital 27 of the GDPR: "This Regulation does not apply to the 
personal data of deceased persons.
, the same Recital 27 stipulates that:  Member 
States may provide for rules regarding the processing of personal data of deceased 
persons."  
 
Please find below a link to a ruling by a German court on access by heirs to a deceased 
 which you might find useful: 
 
http://juris.bundesgerichtshof.de/cgi-
bin/rechtsprechung/document.py?Gericht=bgh&Art=en&Datum=Aktuell&Sort=12288&nr=
85390&linked=pm&Blank=1 
 
Since in your email you specifically refer to Ireland, we would also advise you to contact the 
Irish Supervisory Authority for more information. You may find their contact details here: 
https://edpb.europa.eu/about-edpb/about-edpb/members_en#member-ie  
 
Best regards, 
 
Agnieszka Nyka 
Information and Communication  
 
Privacy statement 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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