Irish digital authority punished popular courier service WhatsApp with a fine of 225 million euros (267 million dollars), following an investigation requested by the European committee of data protection on changes in your use of personal information.
The investigation, launched by the Irish data protection commission DPC in December 2018, sought to determine whether the application “met its transparency obligations” in terms of informing users of how their data would be used.
This included reporting how information is shared between WhatsApp and the other companies in the Facebook group, owner of this popular mobile messaging application.
As a result of this investigation, the DPC “imposed a fine of 225 million euros on WhatsApp,” the agency announced in a statement, calling on WhatsApp to comply with the data protection regulations of the European Union.
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The Irish regulator has jurisdiction in this case since the US digital giant Facebook has its European headquarters in this country.
Mark Zuckerberg’s company will face a millionaire fine in Europe. Photo: AFP
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of the EU, in force since 2018, grants greater power to regulators to protect consumers from digital giants like Facebook, Google, Apple and Twitter, which, attracted by favorable tax treatment, have chosen Ireland as their headquarters.
The GDPR allows regulators to fine these groups up to 4% of your global turnover.
Complaints against digital giants are on the rise in Europe, although some NGOs accuse the Irish regulator of being too accommodating, since Ireland benefits from the tax revenues of multinationals established in the country, such as Facebook.
However, this is the highest sanction imposed by the Irish regulator and the second highest of a digital regulator in Europe, after the fine of 746 million euros imposed on Amazon in July in Luxembourg for breaching the rules on users’ private information.
WhatsApp will appeal the sanction
The messaging app reported this Thursday that appeal Ireland’s decision, Facebook’s European headquarters, for violating European Union data privacy laws.
“We do not agree with the decision today on the transparency that we have provided to people in 2018 and the penalties are completely disproportionate. We will appeal this decision, “said a WhatsApp spokesperson.
Facebook assured that it will appeal the sanction that Ireland applied to him for having violated the laws on data privacy of the European Union.
From the messenger they stressed that the platform “is committed to providing a safe and private service.” “We have worked to ensure that information provided is transparent and complete and we will continue to do so, “he concluded.
“WhatsApp is committed to providing a secure and private service. We have worked to ensure that the information we provide is transparent and complete and we will continue to do so,” a WhatsApp spokesperson reacted in a brief statement.
With information from agencies.
SL