Ireland fines WhatsApp US$267 million for breaching EU data privacy laws

WhatsApp was probed on whether it had violated its ‘transparency obligations’ in telling users how their data would be processed between WhatsApp and other Facebook firms

The fine is largest penalty ever issued to a company by the Irish data protection commission, dwarfing the US$533,650 fine imposed on Twitter last year

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WhatsApp said it would appeal the decision. Photo: Reuters

Published: 10:07pm, 2 Sep 2021Updated: 10:31pm, 2 Sep 2021

Ireland on Thursday slapped Facebook’s WhatsApp messaging service with a record fine for breaching EU data privacy laws after European regulators demanded the penalty be increased.

Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) was entrusted with the case because Facebook’s European headquarters are situated in the country.

“And following this reassessment the DPC has imposed a fine of €225 million (US$267 million) on WhatsApp,” the commission said, by far the largest penalty it has ever issued to a company, dwarfing the €450,000 (US$533,650) fine imposed on Twitter last year.

As Ireland hosts the regional headquarters of a number of major tech players such as Apple, Google and Twitter, the DPC has been largely responsible for policing adherence to the EU’s landmark General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) charter.

But Ireland has come under pressure for not taking a firm enough line against tech giants, who are generally understood to be drawn to the country by its low corporate tax rate of 12.5 per cent.

WhatsApp said it would appeal the decision.

“We disagree with the decision today” it said in a statement, calling the penalties “entirely disproportionate.”