Faroese energy firm Effo charged with data protection violations

The Faroese Data Protection Authority has charged energy company Effo with violating data protection laws, with a potential fine of 15 million Danish kroner, according to a report by Faroese public broadcaster KVF.

The authority first notified Effo of the breach on May 1, 2024. The Danish Director of Public Prosecutions confirmed the charges on May 22, 2026, following a referral from the Faroese prosecutor’s office.

In a written response to a parliamentary question from MP Eirikur í Jákupsstovu, Faroese Prosecutor General Lene Moyell Johansen stated that the case’s court date remains undetermined.

The MP also inquired about a separate fine of 67 million kroner imposed on salmon producer Bakkafrost in December 2021 for violations of transport and sea lice reporting regulations. The Prosecutor General confirmed that police received multiple reports from the Faroese Food and Veterinary Agency over two years, and that parts of the case were later dropped, reducing the fine. The exact reduced amount was not disclosed.

Additionally, the MP asked about a 2021 tax authority report involving Samherji and its subsidiary Tindhólmur, concerning 17 million kroner in allegedly improper tax refunds for crew wages. The Prosecutor General confirmed that police received the report on April 13, 2021, and are investigating whether Samherji used Tindhólmur to pay wages to Namibian crew members on factory ships.