Meta has been fined \u20ac405m by the Irish data watchdog for letting teenagers set up accounts that publicly displayed their phone numbers and email addresses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Data Protection Commission confirmed the penalty after a two-year investigation into potential breaches of the European Union\u2019s general data protection regulation (GDPR).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instagram had allowed users aged between 13 & 17 to operate business accounts on the platform, which showed the users\u2019 phone numbers and email addresses. The DPC regulates Meta which is also the owner of Facebook and WhatsApp on behalf of the entire EU because the company\u2019s European headquarters are in Ireland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
it\u2019s the highest penalty imposed on Meta by the watchdog, after a \u20ac225m fine imposed in September 2021 for \u201csevere\u201d and \u201cserious\u201d infringements of GDPR at WhatsApp and a \u20ac17m fine in March this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The fine is the second largest under GDPR, behind the \u20ac746m levied on Amazon in July 2021.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe adopted our final decision last Friday and it does contain a fine of \u20ac405m. Full details of the decision will be published next week.\u201d<\/p>A DPC spokesperson<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Caroline Carruthers, a UK data consultancy owner, said Instagram had not thought through its privacy responsibilities when letting teenagers set up business accounts and had shown an \u201cobvious lack of care\u201d in users\u2019 privacy settings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis was a major breach that had significant safeguarding implications and the potential to cause real harm to children using Instagram.\u201d<\/p>