{"answer_id":"praxikon:eu:gdpr:answer:uitleg-logica","canonical_page":"https://www.praxikon.com/en/antwoord/avg/uitleg-logica","query":"May an organisation refuse to explain an automated decision by invoking trade secrets?","lang":"en","view":"full","mode":"gdpr","regime":"gdpr","topic":"uitleg-logica","question":"May an organisation refuse to explain an automated decision by invoking trade secrets?","label":"Explaining an automated decision and trade secrets","answer":"No, not entirely. The data subject has the right to meaningful information about the logic involved in an automated decision (Article 15(1)(h)). According to the Court of Justice in Dun & Bradstreet Austria, the organisation must explain the procedure and principles actually applied in such a way that the data subject understands how his or her personal data led to the result. If it considers that trade secrets or data of others are at stake, it submits that information to the supervisory authority or the court, which weighs how much access the data subject receives.","applied_to_question":null,"matched_terms":[],"articles":[{"article":15,"source_locator":"Art. 15(1)(h) GDPR","point":"Right to meaningful information about the logic involved.","source_title":"GDPR (Regulation (EU) 2016/679)","source_url":"https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/679/oj","human_page":"https://www.praxikon.com/en/avg/artikel/15"},{"article":15,"source_locator":"Art. 15(4) GDPR","point":"The right to obtain a copy must not adversely affect the rights and freedoms of others.","source_title":"GDPR (Regulation (EU) 2016/679)","source_url":"https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/679/oj","human_page":"https://www.praxikon.com/en/avg/artikel/15"}],"case_law":[{"id":"c-203-22","kind":"judgment","title":"Dun & Bradstreet Austria","issuer":"CJEU","reference":"C-203/22","ecli":"ECLI:EU:C:2025:117","date":"2025-02-27","status":null,"point":"Operative part: explanation of the procedure actually applied; where trade secrets are involved, the supervisory authority or court weighs the interests.","source_url":"https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:62022CJ0203","human_page":null}],"guidance":[{"id":"edpb-gl-01-2022","kind":"guidance","title":"Guidelines 01/2022 on data subject rights - Right of access","issuer":"EDPB","reference":"v2.1","ecli":null,"date":"2023-03-28","status":"final","point":"Guidelines on the right of access.","source_url":"https://www.edpb.europa.eu/documents/guideline/guidelines-012022-on-data-subject-rights-right-of-access_en","human_page":null}],"enforcement":[],"open_questions":["Which information does the organisation want to withhold, and why?"],"human_page":"https://www.praxikon.com/en/avg/artikel/15","dataset":{"id":"praxikon-gdpr","source":"https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/679/oj","known_at":"2026-09-15"},"casus_check":"https://www.praxikon.com/en/casus-check","disclaimer":"General interpretation, not legal advice. The official source remains authoritative.","methodology":"https://www.praxikon.com/en/methodologie"}