The European Union fined Facebook’s parent company, Meta, $1.3 billion on Monday for reportedly violating its data protection rules.
According to The Washington Post, “The Irish Data Protection Commission said in a statement that Meta’s data transfers were in breach of the E.U.’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), rules that restrict what companies can do with people’s personal data.”
“Facebook has millions of users in Europe, so the volume of personal data transferred is massive,” Andrea Jelinek, chair of the European Data Protection Board told CNN. “The unprecedented fine is a strong signal to organizations that serious infringements have far-reaching consequences.”
How did Meta respond to the EU’s fine?
Industry representatives expressed criticism of the ruling and argue it could restrict how tech companies communicate with international offices and customers.
“This decision is flawed, unjustified and sets a dangerous precedent for the countless other companies transferring data between the E.U. and U.S.,” Nick Clegg, Meta’s president of global affairs, and Jennifer Newstead, its chief legal officer, said in a statement about the fine.
Meta said it was planning to appeal the decision while the E.U. and American leaders “are negotiating a new data-sharing pact that would provide legal protections for Meta and scores of other companies to continue moving information between the United Sates and Europe,” The New York Times reported.
Meta said its services would not experience immediate disruptions in Europe, including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.