Award Banner
Award Banner

Meta hit with record $1.3b fine over data transfers

Meta hit with record $1.3b fine over data transfers
3D printed Meta and Facebook logos are placed on a laptop keyboard in this illustration.
PHOTO: Reuters

DUBLIN - Meta was hit with a record 1.2 billion euro (S$1.7 billion) fine by its lead European Union privacy regulator over its handling of user information and given five months to stop transferring users' data to the United States.

The fine, imposed by Ireland's Data Protection Commissioner (DPC), came after Meta continued to transfer data beyond a 2020 EU court ruling that invalidated an EU-US data transfer pact. It tops the previous record EU privacy fine of 746 million euros handed by Luxembourg to Amazon.com Inc in 2021.

The battle over where Meta's Facebook stores its data began a decade ago after Austrian privacy campaigner Max Schrems brought a legal challenge over the risk of US snooping in light of disclosures by former US National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.

Meta said in a statement that it will appeal the ruling, including the "unjustified and unnecessary fine that "sets a dangerous precedent for countless other companies." It will also seek a stay of the suspension orders through the courts.

The social media giant reiterated that it expected a new pact facilitating the safe transfer of EU citizens' personal data to the United States would be fully implemented before it has to suspend transfers.

That would mean its previous warning that a stoppage could force it to suspend Facebook services in Europe would not come to pass.

"Without the ability to transfer data across borders, the internet risks being carved up into national and regional silos," Meta said.

The DPC said in March that EU and US officials hoped that the new data protection framework - agreed by Brussels and Washington in March 2022 - may be ready by July.

Europe's top court, the European Court of Justice, threw out the two previous pacts over concerns about US surveillance.

Schrems, the Austrian privacy campaigner, said Meta's plans to rely on the new deal for transfers going forward was unlikely to be a permanent fix.

"In my view, the new deal has maybe a 10 per cent chance of not being killed by the CJEU (EU Court of Justice). Unless US surveillance laws gets fixed, Meta will likely have to keep EU data in the EU," he said in a statement.

The Irish watchdog, which is the lead EU regulator for many of the world's top technology companies because of the location of their European headquarters in Ireland, has said the suspension order could create a precedentvfor other firms.

It has now fined Meta a total of 2.5 billion euros for breaches under the bloc's General Data Protection Regulation's (GDPR), introduced in 2018.

The DPC said that it did not initially propose adding a fine to the suspension order, but that four other EU supervising authorities disagreed and the record fine was included after a ruling by the European Data Protection Board (EDPB).

The Irish regulator has fined Meta more than any other tech firm and has 10 other inquiries open into the social media group's platforms.

ALSO READ: Facebook owner Meta announces tests of generative AI ads tool

Source: Reuters

homepage

trending

trending
    Chee Hong Tat to chair Chinese Community Liaison Group, succeeding Edwin Tong
    Is Singapore's F&B industry struggling? Hawkers, entrepreneurs and insiders weigh in
    Judge temporarily blocks Trump administration from revoking Harvard enrolment of foreign students
    2 men and a woman arrested for alleged involvement in impersonating MAS staff, scamming victim of nearly $100k
    We will involve Singaporeans in creating and implementing solutions, says PM Wong as new Cabinet sworn in
    18 injured in knife attack in Hamburg, report says
    'Short-term, more conservative view': Local businesses struggle to come to terms with US tariffs
    'Harvard refugee': Chinese students hunker down as US blocks foreign enrolment 
    $4.6m fine: 2 contractors taken to task for rigging tender bids of upgrading works at PA community clubs
    Cool paint, clean power: These are the sustainable innovations that Temasek Foundation are backing for $2m
    LTA impounds 78 non-compliant AMDs to address rising number of fire incidents
    Youth who performed lewd act on cat pleads guilty

Singapore

Singapore
    • Singapore has never stayed neutral and does take positions on trade with US and China: Gan Kim Yong
    • 'Mixed emotions': Ministers Chan Chun Sing, Desmond Lee and Chee Hong Tat reflect on their Cabinet movements
    • US and China embassies in Singapore clash online over South China Sea; MFA cautions against stirring local sentiment
    • Man who sexually assaulted stepdaughter despite wife's warning gets jail, caning
    • Daily roundup: Murder mystery pop-up inspired by K-drama Nine Puzzles lets you take a shot at playing detective — and other top stories today
    • Daily roundup: New FairPrice Finest outlet featuring food hall opens in Sembawang — and other top stories today
    • Jail for man who devised bogus wine investment scheme, pocketed $12.67m of investors' funds
    • PM Lawrence Wong's Cabinet reshuffle 'cautious' and with succession in mind: Analysts
    • Singapore keeps 2025 growth forecast at 0-2%, sees slight boost from US-China truce
    • Daily roundup: Cat A COE premiums remain above $100k despite slight dip in second bidding for May 2025 — and other top stories today

Entertainment

Entertainment
    • Tay Ying holds 'guo da li' ceremony, jokes she's 'sold'
    • Tom Cruise sends BTS' Jin on secret-agent challenges in variety show
    • Little Monsters flock to Maxwell Food Centre table that Lady Gaga dined at
    • ICA reviewing PR status of Ian Fang, Lev Panfilov following convictions for sexual offences
    • Barry Keoghan confesses to being an addict
    • US singer Chris Brown granted $8.6 million bail for world tour by UK court
    • Miley Cyrus unwilling to remove 'very large' polyp on vocal cord in case it changes her voice

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
    • Supermarket meets kopitiam: New FairPrice Finest outlet featuring food hall opens in Sembawang
    • Bak kut teh or laksa? Uniqlo's latest drop features Singapore food-inspired collection
    • Kopitiam offering 60-cent hot kopi-o and teh-o from June to mark SG60
    • Jurassic World, inflatable playgrounds and more: Family-friendly events and activities this June holiday
    • What to look for in a pregnancy milk: A guide for expecting mums
    • Maxus Mifa 7 review: A large Chinese electric MPV that bucks the luxury trend
    • Free things to do in Singapore (May to June): i Light Singapore, GastroBeats, Pasar Pink, Children's Festival and more
    • Cat A COE premiums remain above $100k despite slight dip in second bidding for May 2025
    • New theme park to open in Japan's Okinawa this July offering scenic treks, hot air balloon rides and more
    • We check out Hiap Joo Bakery's new vending machine selling its famous banana cake

Digicult

Digicult
    • World's best Dota 2 teams to compete for $1m prize pool in Singapore in November
    • A $500 wake-up call: How the Samsung Galaxy Ring made me realise my stress
    • Monster Hunter Wilds producer explains how game has remained unique and fresh over 20 years
    • EU and US authorities take down malware network
    • Google Pixel 9a: The best AI-centric phone under $800 in 2025?
    • Western intelligence agencies warn spyware threat targeting Taiwan, Tibetan rights advocates
    • Taiwan says China using generative AI to ramp up disinformation and 'divide' the island
    • Russian court fines Telegram app for refusal to remove anti-government content, TASS reports
    • One Beijing man's quest to keep cooking — and connecting with Americans — on camera
    • Nintendo Switch 2 to launch in June with US$449.99 price tag

Money

Money
    • Wall Street equity indexes close higher after US-China tariff truce
    • Giant deal: Malaysian company to acquire Cold Storage and Giant supermarket chains in Singapore
    • Looking to buy Singapore property in 2025? Here's what's different (and what could catch you off guard)
    • Newly MOP-ed 3-room HDB flat in Bedok sold for record $730k
    • Ang Mo Kio's most expensive 5-room HDB flat sold for $1.5m, here's why
    • US climate pullback threatens planned debt-for-nature deals
    • This rare HDB maisonette in Queenstown just set a $1.51m record: Here's why
    • HDB BTO July 2025 review: Locations, resale, values, amenities and more
    • Selling your condo? This overlooked factor could quietly undercut your selling price
    • Using a personal loan for a used car purchase: What you need to know

Latest

Latest
  • US judge orders Trump administration to facilitate return of Guatemalan deportee
  • China pledges support for overseas students after Trump's Harvard curb
  • Top US diplomat in Havana promises more sanctions on Cuba
  • Paris court convicts thieves who robbed Kim Kardashian in jewel heist
  • US issues orders easing Syria sanctions after Trump pledge
  • After shootings, Washington's shaken Jewish community looks to bolster security
  • Trump threatens new tariffs on EU and Apple, reigniting trade fears
  • 4 dead, 17 missing as heavy rains soak southern China, triggering landslides 
  • US and Iran to hold nuclear talks amid clashing red lines 

In Case You Missed It

In Case You Missed It
  • Trump administration blocks Harvard from enrolling foreign students, threatens broader crackdown 
  • No joke: Bangkok condo resident releases snakes in corridor to protest neighbour's noisy dog
  • 'Only one chance at life': Chinese student, 18, misses exam to save classmate suffering heart attack
  • Baby suspected to have been eaten by monitor lizard in Thailand, only head found
  • 'Dog will return soon': GE2025 independent candidate Jeremy Tan wants to contest again
  • Ong Ye Kung leads PAP team to victory while elder brother Howard Ong loses in Australia's election on the same day
  • Tan Kiat How weighs in on viral video of Gan Kim Yong being ignored by passers-by in Punggol
  • PSP's Tan Cheng Bock turns 85; SDP's Paul Tambyah joins celebration at Teban Gardens
  • PM Wong urges voters to 'choose leaders of good character' in PAP's first party political broadcast
This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.