By Laura McGuire
Meta will face a record fine over its transfer of European users’ Facebook data to its US server.
The fine, according to reports in Sky News, is expected to be handed to the social media giant this morning by Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC), as it orders Meta to stop using “complex legal instruments” to move EU data to the US.
The financial slap is set to be larger than Amazon’s €746m (£647m) which it was hit with in 2021 after it failed to comply with EU privacy standards.
It comes as concerns have been raised about data transfer flows between the US and EU as it is believed that it could “leave Europeans exposed to the US’s weaker privacy laws”.
The business which was founded by billionaire Mark Zukerberg has previously threatened to suspend its services in the EU if it could not continue using its tools to transfer the data.
In April, Meta acknowledged that it would face a decision from the DPC. during its first quarter results.
The company said: “Our ongoing consultations with policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic continue to indicate that the proposed new EU-US Data Privacy Framework will be fully implemented before the deadline for suspension of such transfers, but we cannot exclude the possibility that it will not be completed in time. “
“We will also evaluate whether and to what extent the IDPC decision could otherwise impact our data processing operations even after a new data privacy framework is in force.”
This is not the first time the Irish watchdog has fined Meta, in January the group handed another of its subsidiaries, Whatsapp a €5.5m (£4.8m) fine for an additional breach of its privacy laws.
The post Meta: Why is Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram owner facing a record fine from the EU? appeared first on CityAM.
