Meta Faces Record-Breaking €1.2 Billion Fine by EU Over Massive Data Transfer Breach

-
Meta

Another day, another data privacy investigation and another revelation. This time, it's about Meta's GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) violations.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, faced a groundbreaking move today as it was hit with a staggering €1.2 billion ($1.3 billion) fine by the European Union. This punitive measure came as a result of an intensive investigation by the EU's European Data Protection Board (EDPB) into Meta's questionable practice of transferring the personal data of millions of European citizens to Facebook servers based in the United States.

 In the press release, the EDPB stated:

The EDPB found that Meta IE’s infringement is very serious since it concerns transfers that are systematic, repetitive and continuous. Facebook has millions of users in Europe, so the volume of personal data transferred is massive. The unprecedented fine is a strong signal to organisations that serious infringements have far-reaching consequences.

Citing systematic, repetitive, and continuous data transfers, the European Data Protection Board deems Meta's infringement as exceedingly grave, underscoring the far-reaching consequences of such breaches. With the EU's stringent General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in place to safeguard the privacy and rights of individuals, the massive volume of personal data transferred by Facebook from its European user base has raised significant concerns.

This landmark decision comes as a result of an in-depth probe initiated by Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC), which exposed Meta's failure to implement adequate privacy safeguards while transferring data from its European servers to the United States. In violation of the GDPR agreement, Meta stands accused of neglecting critical measures to protect user privacy during these transfers. The DPC's firm stance is evident as it grants Meta a deadline until October 12, 2023, to halt its data transfers, emphasizing the urgency of rectifying the situation and complying with data protection standards.

As the implications of this unprecedented fine reverberate throughout the tech and social media landscape, organizations worldwide are left with a stark reminder that data privacy breaches will be met with severe penalties. The EU's resolute stance sends a clear message that protecting the personal information of individuals remains a top priority, and companies must take comprehensive measures to ensure compliance with data protection regulations.

CNBC reports Meta responded to the fine with a statement and plan to appeal the decision:

We are appealing these decisions and will immediately seek a stay with the courts who can pause the implementation deadlines, given the harm that these orders would cause, including to the millions of people who use Facebook every day,” Nick Clegg, Meta president of global affairs, and Jennifer Newstead, chief legal officer at the company, said in a blog post on Monday.

 

ThoughtsUnboxed believes these data protection bills are getting out of hand and would eventually isolate each country or group from the rest of the world. Sometimes, there are privacy violations, but other times, it is to stifle competition from a rival power—for example, the entire privacy debate surrounding TikTok.

 

Sources:

European's Data Protection Board

Data Protection Commission Ireland

CNBC 


Comments

Post a Comment

Trending Now

Meet Microsoft Graveyard - A Monument of Products Killed By Microsoft

-
Image
Much to my envy, a site I had long hoped to set up was established this week. I often wondered why there was no "Killed by Microsoft" counterpart to Google's "Killed by Google," and the wait is finally over. Launched by Victor Frye, the Microsoft Graveyard is an open-source compilation showcasing discontinued Microsoft-made software and hardware. It's worth noting that the site has no affiliations with Microsoft itself. According to the developer, the website is a "passion project" born out of a fondness for many of these products that met an untimely end. Among them are some of the recent casualties including WordPad , Visual Studio for Mac , Cortana , Windows Phone alongside some late distant memories like ASP.Net Web Matrix, Microsoft Bob, Windows Vista and Zune. The Microsoft Graveyard encourages contributions as it's an open-source project hosted on GitHub . You are welcome to add missing items, correct typos, suggest improveme
Read more

Apple's Siri Revolution: Say Goodbye to 'Hey Siri' and Hello to 'Siri'

-
Image
  Apple's upcoming WWDC conference in 2023 is set to bring a significant innovation to its voice assistant, Siri. Instead of the familiar "Hey Siri" command, Apple plans to simplify the activation by using just "Siri." This change aims to enhance user convenience and streamline the interaction. However, this modification comes with its challenges. Apple needs to teach Siri to understand different languages, accents, and dialects accurately. The goal is to ensure that Siri responds effectively to user commands, regardless of linguistic variations. It must be noted Apple has prohibited the use of ChatGPT and other AI assistant tools.   Alongside the trigger phrase update, Apple aims to expand Siri's compatibility with third-party apps and services. This move will enhance Siri's overall functionality and broaden its capabilities. Apple is also investing in the development of Siri's language abilities through a framework called Siri Natural Language Gene
Read more

China's Impersonation And Misinformation Crackdown: 67K Accounts, 1.4M Posts Vanished

-
Image
The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) recently completed a two-month probe targeting social media activities, resulting in the deletion of over 1.4M posts and 67K accounts. The investigation focused on issues such as impersonation of government officials and the spread of misinformation. "Self-media" accounts, which are independent news and information sources not owned by the state, were particularly scrutinized, with popular apps like WeChat , Douyin , and Weibo being closely monitored. As part of the crackdown, the CAC specifically targeted fake military accounts (around 13K identified) and accounts impersonating public institutions (approximately 25K). Punishments were also meted out to 187K accounts for impersonating news media businesses and 430K accounts for providing professional advice or educational services without the necessary qualifications. This extensive social media cleanup campaign by the CAC follows similar actions in the past. Accoding to CAC ,
Read more