Meta fined €91m for violating data protection laws: BBC.com

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has been fined €91 million after an investigation revealed that the social media giant had been storing millions of users’ passwords in an insecure manner.

The fine was imposed by data protection authorities in Ireland, where Meta’s European headquarters are located. The investigation found that Facebook had been storing passwords in plain text format, leaving them vulnerable to potential breaches and unauthorized access.

This latest scandal is just one in a series of controversies surrounding Facebook and its handling of user data. In recent years, the company has faced backlash for its role in the spread of misinformation, privacy breaches, and its impact on democracy.

The €91 million fine is the largest ever imposed under Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which aims to protect the privacy and data of individuals within the European Union. It serves as a stark reminder to tech companies that they must take data security and user privacy seriously.

In response to the fine, Meta has stated that they are committed to protecting users’ data and have taken steps to improve their security practices. However, critics argue that more needs to be done to hold tech companies accountable for their actions and ensure the protection of user data.