Meta was fined €390m (£343m) by regulators for forcing users to consent to personalized ads.
The penalty has been handed out by Ireland’s Data Privacy Commissioner, saying the social media giant breached EU privacy rules.
In addition to heavy fines, Yuan It is also prohibited to force users to register for such advertisements.
Promotions are based on a person’s online activity and allow advertisers to target groups of people who may be interested in their products and services.
yuan, formerly known as FacebookIt has said it will appeal both the fine and the merits of the ruling itself.
It added that the ruling would not prevent targeted or personalized advertising on its platform, which includes instagram, whatsappand Facebook.
The fine dwarfs the €225m (£193m at the time) fine Handed over to WhatsApp by Irish regulator in 2021when the company was found to have violated regulations related to transparency in sharing data with other Meta companies.
Ireland’s data commissioner issues such fines in his capacity as the main privacy watchdog for many of the world’s largest tech companies within the EU.
The latest fine brings the total fines levied on Meta by regulators to €1.3bn (£1.1bn).
Reuters reported that the fine came after the European Union issued a directive last month on how social media companies should place their ads.
This has to do with changes to Facebook and Instagram’s terms of service following the introduction of new EU privacy regulations in 2018, with Meta attempting to rely on a so-called “contract” legal basis to process ads.
It previously relied on users’ express consent to process their personal data for targeted advertising, and Meta sees acceptance of its updated 2018 terms as an express condition for maintaining such advertising.
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Just a few weeks ago, Meta came under scrutiny for potentially deceptive ads on Facebook and Instagram.
Analyzing Advertising Which? and Researching Charity Presentations by Consumer Group Hundreds of paid promotions were found showcasing unregulated investment products, including cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens.