According to the current legislation, every bank operating in Georgia is obliged not to issue any kind of information about a client without his consent. In contrast with abovementioned, often banks hand information about the client to various institutions which on one had represents a bank secret and on the other hand personal information.
Organization the “Young Barristers” are actively asked for legal help by citizens whose rights are violated by banks operating in Georgia. In precise:
· Banks often issue data about their clients without their consent to JSC “Kreditinfo Georgia”;
· In order to extract unpaid bills, banks often address various legal persons and without client’s consent hand them private information
· Banks do not write off requests of remoteness
Organization instructs, that according to “protection of personal data” of civil code and “about commercial banks” of Georgian statute, a bank institution has no right to issue information it possesses about a client without his consent. In addition to this, according to the 22nd article of Georgian statute about “protection of personal data”, bank is obliged to correct, update, add, block, delete or destroy information about the client if it is incomplete, wrong or has not been updated.
Organization the “Young Barristers” address private banks operating in Georgia and asks to protect one of the fundamental human rights and freedoms – Confidentiality of personal information. What is more, the organization advises clients to attentively read contracts signed with banks. The organization addresses Association of Banks of Georgia and asks to effectively react on violation of rights between citizens and the bank institutions.
Because of the facts of negligence and encroachment of “legalized” personal data by banks operating in Georgia we have a current situation, where 110470 citizens have been registered in the Debtor Registry by February 3rd, 2014. Since statistical data about productions implemented in favor of commercial banks is not protected in national bureau of enforcement, the organization agrees with experts’ opinion, according to which, out of 110470 citizens registered in Debtor Registry, most of them have been harmed during relations with banks.
According to 2014 year data of organization’s advocacy group of citizens, number of people who claim against banks has increased. The organization will pay attention to the fact that citizens most often issue claims against “Liberty Bank”, “VTB Bank” and “Bank of Georgia”. The organization has cases against these banks.
The “Young Barristers” will set up monitoring on topic “Quality of protecting bank and personal data by banks in Georgia”. Recommendations will be sent to Georgian government and inspector of protecting personal data. It is possible to prepare a legislative proposal, which will create more solid guarantees for the protection of personal information.
