Meta Fined Almost €400 Million Over EU Privacy Breaches
Reading Time: 2 minutesTech giant Meta has been fined €390 million by the DPC over EU privacy rule violations.
The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) has fined tech giant Meta almost €400 million for breaching EU data privacy rules by forcing users to accept targeted ads.
Meta Fined €390 Million by the DPC
Meta, formerly known as Facebook, has been fined a colossal $390 million (or over $410 million) by the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC). The fine arose when it was found that the company had been forcing Facebook and Instagram users to accept targeted advertisements.
In a DPC press release, it was written that the overall figure has been split into two fines: €210 million for Facebook’s violations and €180 million for Instagram’s violations. The DPC also stated that the complaints were made in May 2018, over four years before the fines were given. The filing of the complaints came at the same time as the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) came into place.
Within the complaint, detailed in the aforementioned press release, it was stated that ‘by making the accessibility of its services conditional on users accepting the updated Terms of Service, Meta Ireland was in fact ‘forcing’ them to consent to the processing of their personal data for behavioural advertising and other personalised services.’
The DPC has given Meta three months to alter its operations and fall in line with the EU’s privacy laws.
Meta Has Been Fined Numerous Times By the DPC
This isn’t the first time that Meta has been fined by the DPC. Over the past two years, the DPC has filed five different cases against the tech company. In November 2022, Meta was fined €265 million (or over $280 million) for infringing two GDPR articles (according to a DPC press release).
But things don’t stop there. In September 2022, Meta appealed a €405 million fine charged by the DPC over Instagram’s processing of children’s data.
On top of this, Meta was also fined €225 million by the DPC in September 2021 for breaching data protection rules.
Meta Is to Appeal This €390 Million Fine
This most recent fine issued by the DPC will allegedly be fought by Meta. In a Meta Newsroom post, the company stated that it is ‘disappointed by these decisions and intend[s] to appeal both the substance of the rulings and the fines.’
Meta also noted that it is ‘continually investing in new technology and processes to allow our community to manage their advertising and privacy preferences.’
Time Will Tell Whether Meta Pays This Mammoth Fine
At the moment, there’s no knowing whether Meta will successfully appeal the DPC’s fine, or if the company will have to hand over the €390 million charged. We may see an end to this dispute in 2023, though it’s uncertain when it will reach its conclusion.
Reference: https://www.makeuseof.com/meta-fined-400-million-eu-privacy-breaches/
Ref: makeuseof
MediaDownloader.net -> Free Online Video Downloader, Download Any Video From YouTube, VK, Vimeo, Twitter, Twitch, Tumblr, Tiktok, Telegram, TED, Streamable, Soundcloud, Snapchat, Share, Rumble, Reddit, PuhuTV, Pinterest, Periscope, Ok.ru, MxTakatak, Mixcloud, Mashable, LinkedIn, Likee, Kwai, Izlesene, Instagram, Imgur, IMDB, Ifunny, Gaana, Flickr, Febspot, Facebook, ESPN, Douyin, Dailymotion, Buzzfeed, BluTV, Blogger, Bitchute, Bilibili, Bandcamp, Akıllı, 9GAG