The Instagram platform in Ireland faces a hefty fine for handling data from children and young people. The subsidiary of the Meta Platforms group is to pay 405 million euros. Meta itself now wants to fight against it.
Instagram should pay a record fine of 405 million euros in Ireland. It is about the handling of data from children and young people, said the Irish data protection authority. Underage users between the ages of 13 and 17 were allowed to operate business accounts on the photo and video platform, which would have allowed their telephone number and/or email address to be published.
Instagram is part of the Meta Platforms group, which also owns the Internet platform Facebook and the messenger service Whatsapp. Meta said they wanted to appeal the Irish decision. Instagram also changed its settings over a year ago and has since created new ways to keep teens' data private.
Ireland is responsible for the matter because Meta, as well as large US technology companies such as Apple and Google, have their headquarters in the European Union there. There are several other cases pending in Ireland against Meta's subsidiaries. Last year, Whatsapp was fined a record €225 million for failing to comply with EU data protection regulations. The Irish authorities want to publish details of their Instagram decision in the coming week.
