The Norwegian Data Protection Authority (Datatilsynet) said that Meta Platforms, the owner of Facebook, will face a daily fine of 1 million crowns ($98,500) starting from August 14 due to privacy breaches. This significant penalty could set a precedent with potential implications for other European countries as well.
On July 17, Datatilsynet warned Meta Platforms that it would face fines unless it resolved the privacy breaches identified by the regulator.
Datatilsynet had instructed Meta Platforms not to collect user data in Norway, including users' physical locations, for targeted advertising purposes known as behavioural advertising. This practice is common among Big Tech companies.
Meta Platforms was given time until August 4 to demonstrate to the regulator that they had resolved this issue.
As of next Monday, a daily fine of 1 million crowns will be imposed on Meta Platforms, according to Tobias Judin, Head of Datatilsynet's international section.
The imposed fine will be effective until November 3 after which Datatilsynet can potentially make it permanent by referring the decision to the European Data Protection Board, which holds the authority to endorse the Norwegian regulator's ruling. If approved, this decision could extend its impact to the entire European region. As of now, Datatilsynet has not taken this step.
Recently, Meta announced its intention to seek consent from users in the European Union before enabling businesses to use targeted advertising based on their interactions with its services like Facebook and Instagram.
Judin emphasised that Meta's proposed step of seeking user consent was insufficient. He insisted that Meta must halt the processing of personal data immediately and not resume it until the consent mechanism was fully functional and operational.
"According to Meta, this will take several months, at the very earliest, for them to implement. And we don't know what the consent mechanism will look like," Judin said. "And in the (meantime), peoples' rights are being violated, every single day."
Meta explained that the modification in their approach was prompted by regulatory obligations in the European region, which originated from an order issued in January by Ireland's Data Protection Commissioner. The Irish authority, acting as Meta's lead regulator within the EU, directed the company to review the legal foundation of its ad targeting practices.
It is worth noting that Norway, although not an EU member, is still a participant in the European single market.
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