WhatsApp fined $266 million by Ireland for breaching privacy laws

WhatsApp was fined 225 million euros ($266 million) on Thursday by the Irish data regulator for breaching the company’s privacy policy.

WhatsApp said it will appeal against the fine as it was “entirely disproportionate.”  

The lead data privacy regulator for Facebook with the European Union, Data Privacy Commissioner (DPC) said the issues concerned on WhatsApp conforming to EU data rules in 2018 about transparency.

"This includes information provided to data subjects about the processing of information between WhatsApp and other Facebook companies," the Irish regulator said in a statement.

WhatsApp spokesperson said the company had provided comprehensive information in the 2018 case.

"We disagree with the decision today regarding the transparency we provided to people in 2018 and the penalties are entirely disproportionate," the spokesperson said.

The Irish agency had earlier fined Facebook’s WhatsApp a fine 50 million euros which got criticized by others for not fining tech giants enough for the breaches.

European Data Protection Board, the EU privacy watchdog said the fine imposed on WhatsApp should also be based on the turnover of Facebook.

The Irish regulator said that European Data Protection Board, in July, issued a "clear instruction that required the DPC to reassess and increase its proposed fine on the basis of a number of factors contained.”

"Following this reassessment the DPC has imposed a fine of 225 million euros on WhatsApp," it said.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Picture Credits: Reuters