Ireland fines Meta $414 million for privacy violations

Ireland’s Data Protection Commission hit Facebook’s parent company with two fines on Wednesday for forcing users to agree to personalized ads based on their online activity. The two fines total 390 million euros, or about $414 million, and encompass violations by Instagram and Facebook. This is the latest installment in a series of heavy fines for Meta in Ireland.

How did Meta break the rules? It refused to allow users access to its platforms unless they agreed to let the company collect their data, something the European Union considers a privacy violation. The Data Protection Commission said in its decision that Meta cannot rely on a required-consent system to deliver personalized ads.

Dig deeper: Read Christiana Kiefer’s column in WORLD Opinions about social media’s negative effects on American girls.