Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has been hit with a record-breaking
$1.3 billion fine by the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) for violating EU data privacy laws.
The fine is the largest ever imposed by the EU for a data breach, and
it comes after Meta was found to have failed to adequately protect the personal data of its users.
The DPC found that Meta had failed to put in place adequate measures to protect the personal data of
its users, including their names, email addresses, phone numbers, and dates of birth.
The company was also found to have failed to provide users with adequate information
about how their data was being collected and used.
Meta is a term used to describe the self-referential nature of the internet. It is derived from the Greek word "μετά" (meta), which means "beyond" or "after".
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a European Union (EU) regulation that outlines the rights of
individuals and the obligations of organizations that control or process personal data of individuals in the European Economic Area (EEA).
The GDPR came into effect on May 25, 2018, and replaced the Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC.