The complainant raised concerns with how the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) adopted an opinion on the use of facial recognition in airports. In particular, the complainant asserted that the EDPB had negatively affected the rights and interests of stakeholders by failing to consult with interested parties before adopting its opinion.

The Ombudsman opened an inquiry and asked the EDPB to set out how it assessed the need to carry out a public consultation and on what basis it concluded it was not necessary to do so. She also asked to inspect the EDPB’s internal documentation concerning this assessment.