Meta Platforms Inc is expected to face another large fine after an EU data watchdog on Tuesday imposed binding decisions concerning the treatment of personal data by the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
The European Data Protection Supervisor said in a statement that the rulings concerned Meta’s use of data for targeted advertising, but did not give details or recommend fines.
Authorities in Ireland, where Meta has its European headquarters, have a month to impose the ruling.
Photo: REUTERS
Previous interventions by the watchdog have led to large fines on tech platforms, including a 405 million euros (US$425 million) fine on Instagram in September over a breach in the handling of children’s data.
The latest case follows complaints by privacy campaigning group NOYB that Meta’s three apps allegedly fail to meet the EU’s strict rules on data protection.
NOYB said the apps flouted the EU’s landmark General Data Protection Regulation, which came into force in May 2018, by failing to give users the option of holding back their personal data and blocking targeted advertising.
Facebook says these are vital to its functioning.
“This is not the final decision and it is too early to speculate,” a Meta spokesman said, adding that EU law left open a possibility for targeted ads.
In October last year, the Irish Data Protection Authority recommended a fine of just 28 million to 36 million euros for lack of transparency.
However, this was rejected as far too low by the French National Commission for Technology and Freedoms and other national watchdogs, which asked the EU watchdog to investigate the case.
“The EU regulators’ decision, if it is upheld, would have a dramatic impact on Meta’s revenue in Europe,” Insider Intelligence analyst Debra Aho Williamson said.
The decision would be a “kneecapping” of Meta’s ability to sell targeted advertising and given the stakes, Meta would “fight vigorously to defend its business,” she said.
Citing internal documents, the Politico news site reported that Meta earmarked 3 billion euros for possible European fines this year and next year.
As well as the Instagram fine in September, Meta was last month fined 265 million euros over a data leak that saw 500 million users’ details published on a hacking Web site.
That adds to a 60 million euros fine in France in January over its use of “cookies,” the digital trackers used to target advertising.
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