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ARTICLE · 06 DECEMBER 2024

Facebook Owner Fined €91 Million For Data Protection Issues

Johnson Law Group
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The Irish Data Protection Commission fined Meta €91M for GDPR violations related to plaintext password storage, underscoring the importance of robust data protection amid heightened regulatory scrutiny.

United KingdomPrivacy
Johnson Law Group
Johnson Law Group

On 27th September 2024, the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) announced a significant €91 million fine against Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, the parent company of Facebook. This hefty penalty came from an inquiry initiated in April 2019, following revelations that Meta had improperly stored user passwords in plaintext, thereby breaching GDPR regulations (General Data Protection Regulation) regarding data security.

The issue came to light in March 2019 when Meta reported that it had inadvertently saved passwords of social media users without appropriate encryption, exposing them to potential risks. While there was no evidence that these passwords had been accessed by unauthorised parties, the DPC's investigation revealed serious shortcomings in Meta's technical and organisational measures aimed at protecting user data.

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