China News Agency, Brussels, September 2 (Reporter De Yongjian) Following Amazon's fine of 746 million euros in July this year, Facebook's instant messaging tool WhatsApp received a 225 million euro fine for violating EU data protection regulations. ".
The Irish Data Protection Commission announced the relevant ruling on the 2nd.
Since Facebook has its European headquarters in Ireland, Irish authorities are now responsible for overseeing WhatsApp's data protection in the EU market.
The Irish Data Protection Commission determined that WhatsApp failed to adequately inform relevant matters when processing users’ personal information, including how to share this information with the parent company’s Facebook, thereby violating the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and was ultimately fined 225 million Euro fine.
In addition, the Irish Data Protection Commission requires WhatsApp to "rectify" and take a series of remedial measures in accordance with regulatory requirements to comply with the EU's General Data Protection Regulations.
In response, a WhatsApp spokesperson said later on the 2nd that the company did not agree with the ruling of the Irish Data Protection Commission and would appeal.
As a globally popular instant messaging tool, WhatsApp was acquired by Facebook in 2014; its official website shows that there are currently more than 2 billion WhatsApp users in more than 180 countries and regions around the world.
In May 2018, the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, regarded as the “world’s most stringent”, came into effect. In December of that year, the Irish Data Protection Commission launched an investigation into WhatsApp; according to the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, if Protecting user data is unfavorable. The lighter can be fined 10 million euros or 2% of the previous year's global operating income, and the severer can be fined 20 million euros or 4% of the previous year's global operating income (the fines are both " Whichever is the greater of the two values").
This time, WhatsApp was fined 225 million euros, which was the second huge “ticket” issued by the European Union in more than a month. Previously, the US e-commerce giant Amazon’s public regulatory filing documents showed that on July 16 this year, due to violations of the EU’s “General According to the Data Protection Regulation, the Luxembourg authority responsible for overseeing Amazon's data protection fined Amazon 746 million euros. This is the heaviest fine ever issued by the European Union to companies that violate the General Data Protection Regulation.
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