If a multi-national company wanted to conduct background checks on all current and potential employees,...

The GDPR does not explicitly regulate background checks, but it does apply to the processing of personal data that may be obtained or used during such checks. Therefore, the company must comply with the GDPR principles, such as lawfulness, fairness, transparency, data minimization, purpose limitation, accuracy, storage limitation, integrity and confidentiality, and accountability. The company must also identify a lawful basis for processing personal data, such as legal obligation, legitimate interest, or consent, and respect the data subject rights, such as the right to information, access, rectification, erasure, restriction, objection, and portability. Moreover, the company must be aware of the specific rules and restrictions regarding the processing of special categories of data (such as biometric, health, or political data) and data relating to criminal convictions and offences, which are subject to Article 10 of the GDPR and the laws of each member state. The company must also consider the national employment laws and the guidelines of the relevant supervisory authorities, which may impose additional conditions or limitations on the scope, methods, and purposes of background checks. For example, some member states may require prior authorization, notification, or consultation with the supervisory authority, the data subject, or the works council before conducting background checks. Some member states may also prohibit or restrict certain types of background checks, such as social media screening, credit checks, or criminal record checks, unless they are necessary, proportionate, and relevant for the specific job position or sector. Therefore, the company must conduct a thorough assessment of the legal framework and the risks and benefits of background checks in each member state where it operates or recruits employees, and ensure that it has a clear and consistent policy and procedure for conducting background checks in a GDPR-compliant manner. References: How to ‘background check’ under the GDPR, How to perform GDPR compliant background checks, GDPR and the processing of criminal conviction data across Europe, Pre-employment vetting: Data protection and criminal records, How GDPR Affects Background Checking