Meta Platforms Ireland Limited: Insufficient technical and organisational measures to ensure information security

€265,000,000 fine - Data Protection Authority of Ireland

Nov 25, 2022 Source

Content

The Irish DPA has fined Meta Platforms Ireland Limited EUR 265 million. The DPA had launched an investigation against Meta in 2021 after media reports indicated that a dataset containing personal data from Facebook had been made available on a hacking platform. The data leak affected up to 533 million users with their data such as phone numbers and email addresses. As part of the investigation, the DPA reviewed and assessed the Facebook Search, Facebook Messenger Contact Importer and Instagram Contact Importer tools. The DPA primarily reviewed the implementation of technical and organizational measures to protect personal data and found a breach of Art. 25 GDPR

GDPR Articles: Art. 25 (1), (2) GDPR
Industry: Media, Telecoms and Broadcasting

Key Excerpts from Decision

Data Protection Commission announces decision in Facebook “Data Scraping” Inquiry 28th November 2022 The Data Protection Commission (DPC) has today announced the conclusion to an inquiry into Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (MPIL), data controller of the “Facebook” social media network, imposing a fine of €265 million and a range of corrective measures. The DPC commenced this inquiry on 14 April 2021, on foot of media reports into the discovery of a collated dataset of Facebook personal data that had been made available on the internet. The scope of the inquiry concerned an examination and assessment of Facebook Search, Facebook Messenger Contact Importer and Instagram Contact Importer tools in relation to processing carried out by Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (‘MPIL’) during the period between 25 May 2018 and September 2019. The material issues in this inquiry concerned questions of compliance with the GDPR obligation for Data Protection by Design and Default. The DPC examined the implementation of technical and organisational measures pursuant to Article 25 GDPR (which deals with this concept). There was a comprehensive inquiry process, including cooperation with all of the other data protection supervisory authorities within the EU. Those supervisory authorities agreed with the decision of the DPC. The decision, which was adopted on Friday, 25 November 2022, records findings of infringement of Articles 25(1) and 25(2) GDPR. The decision imposed a reprimand and an order requiring MPIL to bring its processing into compliance by taking a range of specified remedial actions within a particular timeframe. In addition, the decision has imposed administrative fines totalling €265 million on MPIL.

View Full Original Decision (English)