Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

WhatsApp facing up to €50M privacy fine

WhatsApp facing up to €50M privacy fine

The draft penalty would be one of the largest under the European Union’s data protection rules.
Facebook-owned messaging app WhatsApp could be fined up to €50 million over violations of the European Union's data protection rules, according to three people with direct knowledge of the procedure who spoke with POLITICO.

The preliminary penalty — the figure is now under consultation with the bloc's other data protection agencies — would be one of the largest-ever fines under the EU's General Data Protection Regulation, a set of privacy rules that came into force in 2018.

As part of Ireland's draft findings, the internet messenger may face a fine of between €30 million and €50 million for not living up to transparency requirements under Europe's privacy regime. Whatsapp could also be required to change how it handles its users' data, as the case relates to how the messenger may have failed to properly inform its EU users about how it would share their data with Facebook.

France's privacy authority has fined Google €50 million for separate privacy violations, while Ireland's Data Protection Commission, which has regulatory authority over Facebook, recently issued a €450,000 penalty against Twitter. That represented its first levy against any Silicon Valley company, many of which fall under Dublin's jurisdiction because these firms are legally domiciled in Ireland, mostly for tax reasons.

The multi-million euro draft WhatsApp fine is an initial proposal from Dublin, and has been opened up to other European data protection agencies for their feedback. A final decision on how big the fine should be — and what other remedies WhatsApp should agree to — is not expected until later in the year.

A spokesman for Ireland's Data Protection Commissioner declined to comment. A spokesman for WhatsApp said the company was awaiting the final privacy decision.

In November, Facebook earmarked €77.5 million for a likely privacy fine against its messaging service WhatsApp, which, unlike Instagram, is a separate legal entity in Ireland and therefore has its own set of financial records. The Irish data protection agency is conducting a separate investigation into whether WhatsApp can legally share its users' data with Facebook's other digital services, among other privacy-related concerns.

The draft penalty against WhatsApp, which Ireland submitted to other EU agencies for review just before Christmas, comes as the messenger faces a global backlash over planned updates to its terms and conditions. Those include clarifying to its billions of users how their data is shared more widely with Facebook's other services.

Those changes will not affect WhatsApp European operations, but people across the bloc and elsewhere still have flocked to rivals like Signal because of privacy fears. On January 15, the messenger said it was delaying the upcoming privacy changes, in part because of the confusion generated by the proposed overhaul.

Johannes Caspar, Hamburg's privacy regulator who filed objections to a previous Irish decision against Twitter, told POLITICO earlier this week that he had not ruled out doing the same in the WhatsApp case.

"WhatsApp has an enormous amount of users," he said. "It must be clear that the consent mechanism they use must be lawful and that consent is informed and freely given by the users."
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
×