Social media giants face huge fines if they break new EU data protection rules
Social media giants like Facebook and Instagram face serious fines if they break new EU data protection rules.
The draft laws are designed to give citizens control over their private data, while also creating clarity and legal certainty for businesses to spur competition in the digital market.
Internet companies like Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram could face huge fines if they don’t adhere to the data protection laws once they come into force.
Fine Gael MEP Deirdre Clune has said violations of privacy laws could be costly: “Strict fines have been decided on now if they have violate the privacy laws they could be subject to 4% of their global revenues.
“The Parliament was intent on having such high levels of fines in place because it is serious, the privacy of individuals is important and their personal information needs to be protected.”
The EU Data Reform, originally tabled in 2012, contains a raft of data protection measures aimed at protecting Europeans in the digital age.
The Reform consists of two instruments: the General Data Protection Regulation, which will enable people to better control their personal data and make new rules surrounding businesses’ uses of data; and the Data Protection Directive for the police and criminal justice sector, which aims to ensure that the data of victims, witnesses, and suspects of crimes, is duly protected, and also allows for more cross-border cooperation.
