Facebook fined €1.2bn for mismanaging users’ data

For improperly managing user data during its movement between Europe and the United States, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, was fined €1.2 billion (£1 billion).

It is the largest fine levied under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation and was issued by Ireland’s Data Protection Commission.

GDPR regulations mandate that businesses get individuals’ consent before utilizing their personal data.

The “unjustified and unnecessary” decision will be challenged in court, according to Meta.

Using Standard Contractual Clauses to transfer EU data to the US is the key decision-making factor.

The European Commission created these contracts, which include protections to guarantee that personal data is still secured when moved outside of Europe.

However, there are worries that these data flows might still subject Europeans to the laxer privacy regulations of the US and that US intelligence could access the data.

‘Dangerous precedent’

Most major businesses send a complex network of data to foreign receivers, including email addresses, phone numbers, and financial information; many of these transfers rely on SCCs.

According to Meta, the fee is unreasonable because of their widespread use.

As a result, “we are upset to have been singled out while utilizing the same legal process as thousands of other businesses trying to offer services in Europe, said Nick Clegg, the president of Facebook.

“This decision is flawed, unjustified, and creates a hazardous precedent for the numerous other businesses transferring data between the EU and the US.”