Visitors pose for photos in front of the Meta sign at its headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif., Dec. 29, 2022.
Tayfun Coskun | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Yuan European privacy watchdog fines record €1.2 billion ($1.3 billion) for transferring EU user data to US
The decision is linked to a case brought by Australian privacy campaigner Max Schrems, who argues that the framework for transferring data of EU citizens to the US does not protect Europeans from US surveillance.
Several mechanisms for the legal transfer of personal data between the United States and the European Union have been controversial. The latest such iteration, Privacy Shield, was struck down by the European Union’s top court, the European Court of Justice, in 2020.
The US and EU agreed “in principle” last year to a new framework for cross-border data transfers. However, the new agreement has not yet entered into force.
Overseas Meta business in the EU alleged the company breached the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) when it continued to send the personal data of European citizens to the US, according to the Irish Data Protection Commission
GDPR is the European Union’s landmark data protection regulation governing companies active in the EU. It entered into force in 2018.
The €1.2 billion fine against Meta is the largest fine ever imposed on any company for breaching the GDPR. The previous largest fine was €746 million for e-commerce giant Amazon for breaching the GDPR in 2021.
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