The Irish Data Protection Commission accuses Instagram of failing to sufficiently protect the personal data of minors. The social network was fined a record 405 million euros.
Social networks have become a crucial and inevitable sociability tool for teenagers, who love to share photos, videos, and personal information. Data that should be scrupulously protected by these digital giants – particularly that of minors – even if the legal age required to register is 13 years old. However, Instagram was deemed lax in terms of the discretion of the contact details of its youngest users, who also found the loophole to have more visibility and accessibility.
record fine
The social network Instagram, a subsidiary of the Meta group also belonging to Facebook, is in the sights of the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC). Indeed, since the end of 2020 an investigation has been opened by the DPC, the equivalent of the Cnil in France, to determine whether or not the data of young users was sufficiently protected. The European regulator had doubts in particular about the fact that confidential data of minors, such as contact details, could be visible to everyone when they switched their public or private account to a professional account.
After investigation, the Commission has found that Instagram has committed several breaches of the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), in particular in the processing of data from minors. Breaches that have earned the social network a record fine of 405 million euros.
The Meta group intends to appeal
The Irish Commission’s decision is the second highest fine imposed on a digital giant, after the 746 million paid by Amazon in July 2021. The Meta group, which has previously been fined other fines, does not intend to remain. the. A spokesperson told the media RTE that the group intended to appeal this decision, in particular because the settings highlighted by the Commission were modified a year ago. Currently, at least six other investigations are said to be underway targeting other social networks, reported BFM TV. At our level, in France, a decree to oblige manufacturers of smartphones and tablets to integrate parental control is under discussion. enough to try to limit as best as possible, and as far as possible, this kind of drift.