Norway Regulator Imposes Fines on Meta for Privacy Breaches

[Edited] The data regulator of Norway has announced its intention to refer the ongoing fine imposed on Meta Platforms (META.O), the parent company of Facebook, to the European data authority (EDA).

Credits: REUTERS

This move has the potential to make the penalty permanent and extend it to the European Union.

The European regulator, in response to the request, has confirmed that it has received the proposal to expand the fine. It has stated that it will conduct an assessment of the case and subsequently make an urgent binding decision within two weeks.

Meta Platforms, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, has been facing a daily fine of one million crowns ($93,000) since August 14th for a period of three months. This penalty was imposed due to the company's violation of users' privacy by collecting their data and utilizing it for targeted advertising, a business model commonly employed by major tech companies.

The Norwegian regulator, Datatilsynet, is limited to imposing such penalties for a maximum period of three months. Consequently, it has decided to refer the case to the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) in order to potentially make the decision permanent and extend it to the European Union and the European Economic Area. Although Norway is not a member of the EU, it is part of the European single market.

Tobias Judin, the head of the international section at Datatilsynet, expressed his concerns about Meta's non-compliance, stating, "Meta is not respecting our decision in Norway and they continue to violate the law across Europe. Over 250 million people are affected. Therefore, it is necessary to obtain a final decision from the EDPB so that we can enforce compliance at the European level."

This decision comes after Meta's unsuccessful attempt to obtain a temporary injunction against Datatilsynet's fine.

In response to the recent development, Meta expressed surprise and highlighted its commitment to transitioning to the legal basis of consent for advertising in the EU/EEA. A spokesperson for Meta stated, "We remain in active discussions with the relevant data protection authorities on this topic via our lead regulator in the EU, the Irish Data Protection Commission, and will have more to share in due course."

The Norwegian regulator has raised concerns about Meta's unclear approach to obtaining consent from users, emphasizing that users' rights are being violated in the meantime.

As of now, the European Data Protection Board has not provided an immediate response to the request for comment.

($1 = 10.7328 Norwegian crowns)

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• Norway's data regulator is seeking the involvement of the EU regulator to impose a fine on Meta Platforms for a privacy breach.

• Meta has been facing a daily fine of one million crowns since August 14th.

• The Norwegian regulator is referring the case to the European Data Protection Board to potentially make the decision permanent and extend it to the European Union.

Source: REUTERS