Personal data: Whatsapp hit by record fine from Irish regulator – Bourse Direct

The Irish digital authority has hit Whatsapp, a subsidiary of social media giant Facebook, with a record fine of 225 million euros for violating European regulations on the protection of personal data.

This fine is the largest ever imposed by the Irish regulator and the 2nd largest by a digital regulator in Europe, after that of 746 million euros against Amazon in July in Luxembourg for non-compliance with European regulations on the private data of Internet users.

After a long investigation, the Irish Data Protection Authority (DPC) “imposed a fine of 225 million euros on Whatsapp”, and “also imposes a reprimand” on this subsidiary of Facebook, the pressing “to come into conformity”.

The Irish regulator oversees Facebook on behalf of the EU, as the company has its regional headquarters in that country.

The investigation started in 2018 focused on Whatsapp’s compliance with its transparency obligations under European data protection rules (GDPR), in particular “on the processing of information between Whatsapp and other Facebook companies”.

After having received the first conclusions of the investigation, the European regulator, which federates the 27 national authorities of European data protection, had asked last July to the Irish authority “of new investigations quickly” and to go further in the proposed sanctions.

Seized in particular by the German authority after controversial modifications to the conditions of use of the messaging system, the European body wanted in particular more information on the use that Facebook intended to make of the data of its subsidiary, and in particular on the possibilities cross-referencing related to the use of unique identifiers.

“Disproportionate sanctions”

The DPC noted in its decision “very serious breaches” of transparency and a “very significant lack of information” provided to the user.

“Failure to comply with the principle of transparency can undermine other fundamental principles of data protection” including “the principles of equity and responsibility”, further notes the regulator.

A spokesperson for Whatsapp on Thursday denounced “grossly disproportionate sanctions”, indicating that the company would appeal.

“Whatsapp is committed to providing a secure and private service. We have worked to ensure that the information we give is transparent and complete and we will continue to do so,” he added.

Whatsapp’s sanction “was long overdue. It sends a serious message to Facebook and its subsidiaries that failure to comply with European data protection rules has consequences,” responded David Martin, an official at the European Office. consumer associations (BEUC), in a press release.

The European Consumer Defense Federation specifies that it has filed a separate complaint against Whatsapp, which it accuses of having “exerted unfair pressure” on users to accept recent changes to the conditions of use of the messaging system.

Complaints are growing against Facebook and digital giants in Europe, even though the Irish authority is accused by activists of being too complacent and dragging its feet, as Dublin benefits from tax revenues from many of the multinationals headquartered European in the country.

The Irish regulator “had proposed an initial fine of 50 million euros and was forced by the other European authorities to increase to 225 million euros”, welcomed in a statement Max Schrems, figure of the fight for the protection of personal data and founder of the NGO “NOYB” (None of your business).

“We welcome this first decision by the Irish regulator. But (the latter) has received around 10,000 complaints per year since 2018 and this is the first major fine”, however lamented Mr. Schrems, at the origin of a long standoff with the social network founded by Mark Zuckerberg.

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