Security News > 2021 > September > WhatsApp to appeal $266 million fine for violating EU privacy laws
Ireland's Data Privacy Commissioner has hit Facebook-owned messaging platform WhatsApp with a €225 million administrative fine for violating the EU's GDPR privacy regulation after failing to inform users and non-users on what it does with their data.
EU data regulators can impose maximum GDPR fines of up to €20 million or 4% of the infringing company's annual global turnover - whichever is greater - for violating EU's privacy laws.
The fine follows an investigation started in December 2018 after the data watchdog received multiple complaints from "Individual data subjects" regarding WhatsApp data processing activities.
What makes this fine stand out-besides its size-is the fact that eight other EU privacy regulators opposed the initial €50 million fine the Irish data privacy watchdog proposed and ordered it to reassess.
In May, the Hamburg Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information banned Facebook from processing WhatsApp user data until the end of August after WhatsApp said it would restrict account features for users who refuse to give up control of their data and have it shared with Facebook companies.
After the HmbBfDI ban, WhatsApp backtracked on its plans stating that "Given recent discussions with various authorities and privacy experts, we want to make clear that we will not limit the functionality of how WhatsApp works for those who have not yet accepted the update."