European watchdog fines Meta $276M after data ‘scraped’ from Facebook leaked online
Data on more than 533 million users 'scraped' from Facebook, dumped on hacker website
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A European regulator hit Facebook parent company Meta with a fine of 265 million euros, or more than $276 million, as punishment after data on more than half a billion users was "scraped" and leaked online.
Ireland’s Data Protection Commission said Meta Platforms failed to protect users’ date, violating sections of the EU’s strict General Data Protection Regulation.
The investigation was opened last year following reports that data on more than 533 million users, including names, Facebook IDs, phone numbers, locations, birth dates, and email addresses for people from more than 100 countries was found dumped online.
The data, which was found on a website for hackers, had been "scraped" from Facebook by using tools designed to help people find their friends through phone numbers using search and contact import features, Meta said.
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The Irish watchdog has previously fined Meta-owned Instagram and Whatsapp for violating data protection for users. (Reuters/Dado Ruvic/Illustration / Reuters Photos)
The Irish watchdog said it investigated scraping carried out between May 2018 and September 2019.
Meta said it had "cooperated fully" with the investigation.
Meta said it had made changes during the period in question to better protect users' data. ((Photo illustration by Chesnot/Getty Images) / Getty Images)
"We made changes to our systems during the time in question, including removing the ability to scrape our features in this way using phone numbers," Meta said in a statement. "Unauthorized data scraping is unacceptable and against our rules."
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Along with the fine, the commission said it also imposed on Meta a "range of corrective measures," which were not specified.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| META | META PLATFORMS INC. | 569.20 | -4.34 | -0.76% |
Previously, the Irish watchdog fined Meta-owned Instagram 405 million euros in September after it found that the platform mishandled teenagers’ personal information. Meta was fined 17 million-euro fines in March for its handling of a dozen data breach notifications.
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Last year, the watchdog fined Meta's chat service WhatsApp 225 million euros for violating rules on sharing people's data with other Meta companies.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.