Video conferencing has become the backbone of modern collaboration. From board meetings and interviews to therapy sessions and online classrooms, organisations now rely on virtual communication to exchange sensitive information every day. Yet, with this convenience comes responsibility, which can be challenging.
When personal data is shared, displayed, or stored during a video meeting, the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies — and failing to safeguard that data can lead to severe consequences or even punishments. The GDPR data breach landscape is evolving fast, and video conferencing platforms are increasingly under regulatory scrutiny.
Many assume GDPR only comes into play when a hacker breaks into a system or when there is an event of intrusion. In truth, a GDPR breach can occur without any malicious attack — a mis-sent invite, a leaked recording, or an unauthorised participant can all trigger compliance obligations. Understanding these risks is essential for data protection or compliance officers, IT managers, and teams who handle personal data through digital meetings or online classes.
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In Article 4, Chapter 1 of the GDPR, personal data breach is defined as any “breach of security leading to the accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure of, or access to personal data.”
This covers three key dimensions:
In virtual meetings, these types of breaches can easily occur:
Each of these incidents qualifies as a personal GDPR data breach — even if the data never leaves the EU or there’s no sign of external compromise.
Under GDPR, not every breach needs to be reported — but organisations must assess each incident carefully and evaluate its seriousness and level of damage. The benchmark is a risk to individuals’ rights and freedoms.
If a breach is likely to pose a risk to individuals such as financial loss, identity theft, emotional distress or other, the controller must report it to the relevant supervisory authority — for example the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in the United Kingdom, the Agencia Española de Protección de Datos (AEPD) in Spain, or the Bundesbeauftragte für den Datenschutz und die Informationsfreiheit (BfDI) in Germany — within 72 hours of becoming aware of it. This is the actual essence of the GDPR breach reporting.
The report must outline:
If the report is delayed, the organisation must justify the reason and give an explanation.
If the breach poses a high risk to individuals, those affected must also be informed “without undue delay.” This communication should be in plain language, explaining what happened, potential consequences, and what steps individuals can take to protect themselves.
Understanding who holds responsibility is vital.
This shared accountability means that organisations must select partners who are not only technically robust but also contractually aligned with GDPR standards.
Failing to comply with breach obligations can be costly. The maximum fine for GDPR breach is up to €20 million or 4 % of global annual turnover — whichever is higher. For serious security lapses or failure to notify authorities in time, these GDPR breach fines can escalate quickly.
Under GDPR, individuals affected by a breach may seek GDPR breach compensation for financial or non-financial harm — including stress or reputational damage. Such breach of GDPR claim actions are increasingly common, with GDPR breach solicitors offering services to affected individuals, particularly in cases involving leaked personal or health data.
Here are examples of two incidents that illustrate how video conferencing can expose organisations to GDPR risks.
In 2020, Zoom Video Communications faced international scrutiny after it emerged that the company’s advertised end-to-end encryption did not prevent Zoom itself from accessing meeting content, since it retained the cryptographic keys. Meeting IDs and URLs were also not sufficiently randomised, enabling “Zoombombing” incidents where unauthorised individuals disrupted or observed private meetings. These issues led to regulatory pressure and a settlement with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, compelling Zoom to enhance its security controls and clarify its encryption claims.
Similarly, the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) documented a case where a remote public hearing was held with misconfigured access permissions, allowing unintended participants to join and observe confidential proceedings. This incident constituted a confidentiality breach in a video setting, demonstrating the importance of strict access control and role management.
These cases underscore that GDPR breaches in video conferencing don’t always stem from sophisticated cyber-attacks — they often arise from weak configurations and unclear security claims. They highlight the critical need for privacy-by-design platforms and disciplined meeting management to prevent unauthorised access and data exposure.
Choose a platform that integrates privacy from the outset and enables you to start using it immediately without having to configure any additional security parameters. Features like waiting rooms, role-based access, end-to-end encryption (E2EE), and token-based authentication reduce the chance of unauthorised access and protect users’ data by design.
Only collect and share what’s necessary for a smooth video call implementation. Disable unnecessary recording functions, restrict file transfers, and ensure that any recording storage aligns with retention policies if not needed. Secure deletion processes should be standard practice.
If recordings are required (e.g., for compliance or training), store them on encrypted, EU-based servers. You can assess this information by requesting a DPA from the provider of your choice. Avoid external or cloud services outside GDPR jurisdictions unless subject to valid safeguards such as SCCs.
Conduct Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) when deploying or changing video systems to have an overview of requirements. This helps identify potential risks before they lead to a GDPR data breach.
Unfortunately, human error remains the top cause of breaches. Regularly train staff on data protection basics, correct meeting setup, and incident reporting procedures to reduce the breach risk.
Digital Samba is built in Europe, for Europe — a platform designed around privacy, security, and sovereignty. Unlike US-based competitors subject to extraterritorial laws such as the CLOUD Act, Digital Samba ensures that all personal data remains protected under GDPR standards by deploying only European sub-processors.
Recordings, chat logs, and shared files are managed according to GDPR best practices — users maintain control over data retention and deletion, ensuring that nothing persists longer than necessary.
By integrating Digital Samba, organisations effectively mitigate the most common triggers of GDPR data breach incidents, ensuring peace of mind for compliance officers and IT managers alike.
Video conferencing has reshaped the modern workplace, but with it comes a growing need for vigilance. A single misconfigured meeting or misplaced file can constitute a GDPR breach under the law, carrying financial, legal, and reputational consequences.
By understanding the principles of confidentiality, integrity, and availability — and choosing privacy-first platforms like Digital Samba — organisations can drastically reduce their risk of violations.
Contact us now to find out how you can stay compliant, private and how you can keep your meetings secure with Digital Samba.