Facebook and Instagram fined for ads. €390 million in fines

In May 2018, the regulation on the protection of personal data known as the GDPR entered into force in the countries belonging to. In short, it ensures the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and their free movement.

According to the services, the company’s applications have not adapted properly to these changes.

Meta broke European law

When the GDPR came into force, Meta changed its user data processing policy by adding a clause to the terms of service for advertising. Its acceptance was necessary to use the application.

According to the Data Protection Commissioner, Meta has forced its users – and successfully – to consent to the use of their data, which violated EU rules – we read in .

For this reason, the Meta concern was fined after 5 years of analysis. On Wednesday, January 4, the Data Protection Commissioner announced the verdict. The EU has to pay €210 million for breaching Facebook’s data privacy rules, plus another €180 million for the same offence. The total fine therefore amounts to EUR 390 million.

More information from Poland can be found at

In addition, the DPC imposed on the company ban on forcing users in the European Union to accept personalized advertisements selected on the basis of their online activity.

Meta announces an appeal against the decision

In response to the verdict, Meta said in an official statement that “we firmly believe that our approach respects the GDPR, therefore we are disappointed with these decisions and intend to appeal both the content of the rulings and the amount of the fines.”

In addition, it added that “there have been imprecise speculations and misreporting about what these decisions mean. We want to reassure users and businesses that they can continue to benefit from personalized advertising across the EU through the Meta platforms.”