Huge fine for social media giant

Tech giant Meta has been fined euro251 million by the European Union over a security breach that hit its Facebook platform in 2018. According to the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC), the flaw allowed hackers to access sensitive information such as users' full names, email addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth and religion. The breach affected 28 million accounts globally, including three million in the European Union.

• How was the security breach possible?

The problem was caused by the "View As" feature, which allows users to see what their profile looks like from the perspective of other people. A series of technical errors in this feature generated digital access keys (access tokens), which allowed hackers to take control of the affected accounts. According to the DPC, the flaw was active for two weeks, between September 14 and 28, 2018.

• Meta disputes fine

Meta said it took swift action to fix the situation, notified affected users, and worked with regulators. However, the company plans to challenge the fine in court. "We proactively notified affected individuals and worked with authorities to resolve the issue," a Meta spokesperson said.

• Meta's EU fine history

This is not the first time Meta has been fined by European authorities. In 2021, the company was fined euro225 million for lack of transparency, and in 2022, it was fined euro405 million for mishandling minors' data and euro265 million for another security breach. In 2023, Meta was fined euro390 million for failing to comply with data transparency rules.

• Impacts on the tech industry

The sanctions imposed on Meta show the European Union's determination to implement the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which came into force in 2018, to protect users' personal data. Graham Doyle, the DPC representative, stressed that the fine highlights the importance of integrating data protection requirements from the design and development phases of digital platforms. However, the frequency of sanctions raises questions about the effectiveness of fines in deterring big tech companies. Despite the huge fines, Meta continues to generate massive profits, reporting revenues of over $15 billion in the third quarter of 2023.