EU fines Facebook 1.2 billion euros for misuse of user data
Meta, the company owned by Mark Zuckerberg, has been fined a record €1.2 billion by European security regulators.
According to reports, Meta is accused of passing the data of European Union users to the US.
Initiated by Ireland’s Data Protection Commission, this is the largest fine imposed under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation privacy law.
The GDPR sets out the rules companies must follow to transfer user data outside the EU.
These legal contracts, prepared by the European Commission, contain safeguards to ensure that personal data continues to be protected when it is transferred outside of Europe.
But there are concerns that these data flows continue to expose Europeans to weaker US privacy laws, and US intelligence could gain access to the data.
Most large companies have complex data transfer networks, which may include e-mail addresses, telephone numbers and financial information for overseas recipients, many of whom depend on SCC.
And Meta says their widespread use makes the fine unfair.
Facebook president Nick Clegg said: “We are therefore disappointed to be singled out when using the same legal mechanism as thousands of other companies seeking to provide services in Europe.
“This decision is wrong, unjustified and sets a dangerous precedent for the countless other companies that transfer data between the EU and the US.”
