Global site navigation

Local editions

Irish data watchdog fines Instagram 405 mn euros over children
Business and Economy

Irish data watchdog fines Instagram 405 mn euros over children

by  AFP 2 min read
Instagram said the fine concerned settings that were already changed and that it plans to appeal
Instagram said the fine concerned settings that were already changed and that it plans to appeal. Photo: Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP/File
Source: AFP

PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see Legit.ng News on your Facebook News Feed!

Ireland's Data Protection Commission on Monday said it had fined Instagram a record 405 million euros ($402 million) for breaching regulations on the handling of children's data.

"We adopted our final decision last Friday and it does contain a fine of 405 million euros," the DPC said in a statement. Full details of the decision will be published next week, it added.

The DPC launched an investigation in late 2020 into concerns about how the image-sharing social media platform handles children's personal data.

The probe centred on the "appropriateness" of Instagram profile and account settings for children, and the firm's "responsibility to protect the data protection rights of children as vulnerable persons".

It was conducted under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) -- the EU charter of data rights which came into effect in May 2018.

Read also

Google allows Parler app back into Play Store

The GDPR gives data regulators the power to impose stiff fines for breaches.

PAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Instagram - get the most important news directly in your favourite app!

As Instagram is owned by Meta, which has its European headquarters in Dublin, it falls to the DPC to enforce the regulations.

Last year, it fined WhatsApp, also owned by Meta, a then-record 225 million euros for breaking data protection rules.

Meta, which also owns Facebook, was in March slapped with a 17-million-euro fine for 12 data breaches.

There was no immediate response from Meta when contacted by AFP.

But a company spokesperson was quoted by Irish state broadcaster RTE as saying the Instagram inquiry "focused on old settings that we updated over a year ago".

"We've since released many new features to help keep teens safe and their information private," they added.

"Anyone under 18 automatically has their account set to private when they join Instagram, so only people they know can see what they post, and adults can't message teens who don't follow them."

The company disagreed with how the fine was calculated and plans to appeal, they added.

Source: AFP

Authors:
AFP avatar

AFP AFP text, photo, graphic, audio or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. AFP news material may not be stored in whole or in part in a computer or otherwise except for personal and non-commercial use. AFP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions in any AFP news material or in transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages whatsoever. As a newswire service, AFP does not obtain releases from subjects, individuals, groups or entities contained in its photographs, videos, graphics or quoted in its texts. Further, no clearance is obtained from the owners of any trademarks or copyrighted materials whose marks and materials are included in AFP material. Therefore you will be solely responsible for obtaining any and all necessary releases from whatever individuals and/or entities necessary for any uses of AFP material.

Hot: