This fine is the largest ever imposed by the Irish regulator. It is also the second highest that a digital regulator has imposed in Europe after the €746 million fine against Amazon in July in Luxembourg for non-compliance with European regulations on Internet users' private data.
Following its investigation, the Irish Data Protection Authority (DPC) "imposed a fine of €225 million on WhatsApp ," it announced in a statement. The DPC "also imposed a reprimand" on this Facebook subsidiary, and ordered it "to comply" with European rules.
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The investigation, which began in 2018, focused on WhatsApp's compliance overseas chinese in australia data with its transparency obligations under European data protection rules (GDPR), including "the processing of information between WhatsApp and other Facebook companies . "
“Disproportionate sanctions,” denounces WhatsApp
Seized in particular by the German authority after controversial modifications to the conditions of use of the messaging service, the European regulator, which brings together the 27 national European data protection authorities, had asked the Irish authority in July for "new investigations quickly" .
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The European body wanted more information on how Facebook wants to use its subsidiary's data, and in particular on the possibilities of cross-referencing linked to the use of unique identifiers.
The DPC noted in its decision "offenses of a very serious nature" and a "very significant lack of information" provided to the user. A WhatsApp spokesperson denounced "totally disproportionate sanctions" on Thursday , explaining that the company would appeal.
"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 ," he added.
