Meta has broken a new record. US company fined 1.2 billion euros – Toughest ever in Europe — Issued by the Data Protection Commission (DPC), the Irish personal data controller.
Why does Europe condemn Meta?
Meta illegally transferred the personal data of its European users to its own US servers. Since 2016, a device called Privacy Shield has made it possible to transfer certain data between Europe and the United States, while avoiding legal restrictions applicable in the old continent. Invalidated in 2020 by the CNIL and its European counterparts, this shield, widely used by web giants, continues to be used by Meta without authorization.
This week, the Irish regulator said it believes Meta’s actions related to its use of Privacy Shield.Does not address risks to fundamental rights and freedoms“. Mark Zuckerberg’s company has five months to stop transferring data to the United States and six months to return all information in its home country to the old continent. The first registration fine is 1.2 billion euros, and delays in these two deadlines may be accompanied by heavy fines.
What is the cure for Meta?
Unsurprisingly, Meta has already appealed the sentence, and refuses to pay the penalty imposed by the DPC. However, the fine imposed by the Irish regulator is the largest ever sanctioned under the European GDPR, which will celebrate its fifth anniversary next Thursday, March 25. Not far behind, Amazon had to pay a fine of 746 million euros in 2021 for similar facts related to the violation of the privacy of its users.
However, this is not Meta’s first conviction in Europe. The company has already spoken out about the invalidity of the privacy shield, threatening to shut down Instagram and Facebook on the old continent. A warning that made things worse at the time. It is worth noting that the regulators German deputy Axel Voss (Christian Democratic Union) states: “Meta cannot threaten to circumvent EU data protection standards“.
After three years, the metastases stabilized and the symptoms: “This decision is wrong, unfair and sets a dangerous precedent for the countless other companies that transfer data between the EU and the US.“, Nick Clegg, Meta’s Head of Global Affairs and Jennifer Newstead, General Counsel, a The press release was issued on Monday.
In the midst of this happy imbroglio, a solution is still on the horizon: the European Union recently confirmed Device plan It has the potential to replace the privacy shield and satisfy everyone on the data flow issue.
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