The popular instant messaging service WhatsApp has been convicted by the Irish data protection authority for violating the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Since WhatsApp belongs to Facebook and the EU headquarters of the social media platform is in Ireland, the Irish supervisory authority is responsible for WhatsApp. The fine amounts to a total of 225 million euros, making it the highest penalty ever imposed by the Irish Data Protection Commission.
Transparency obligation not met
That The fine relates to an investigation that began in 2018, which was about whether WhatsApp deals with information transparently enough. The data protection commission has come to the conclusion that WhatsApp has not fulfilled its transparency obligations with regard to the provision of information and its further processing between WhatsApp and other Facebook companies. In addition to the fine, the European Data Protection Commission has also issued a warning that the company should change its data processing.
According to BBC News, WhatsApp does not agree with the decision and wants to appeal the judgment. A spokesman for WhatsApp stressed: “We have worked to ensure that the information we provide is and will continue to be transparent and comprehensive. We are committed to today’s decision on the transparency we will give people in 2018 have commanded, disagree and the penalties are completely disproportionate. “
Is data protection a perennial issue?
Finally, Facebook and Twitter should pay a fine for not storing data of Russian users in Russia. WhatsApp should also pay 4 million rubles (almost 46,000 euros) and Facebook 171,000 euros at the request of the Russian media regulator. Google was not spared in this context either and had to pay a fine of 35,000 euros.
(mack)
