The EU Court of Justice has ruled that Swedish firms selling criminal judgments violate GDPR and do not qualify for the journalistic exemption.
The EU Court of Justice issued the ruling on 9 July 2026. It stated that services consisting solely of selling unprocessed criminal judgments do not count as journalism and therefore fall outside the GDPR exemption.
The case originated from Goled Raabi who sued Lexbase in 2024. His 2011 robbery conviction had remained searchable on the site for 14 years. Raabi said: "It feels very good. What the ruling says is that personal data is not for sale."
Lexbase chairman Gunnar Axén claimed the decision would not affect operations because the company now publishes journalistic articles. The case now returns to Attunda District Court for a final ruling.
