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A European Data Privacy Office Has 15 Open Investigations. Ten Are About Facebook. (nbcnews.com)

Posted by msmash on from the how-about-that dept.

An office that's responsible for enforcing European data privacy laws against many of the biggest U.S. tech firms is spending much of its time on one company: Facebook. From a report: The Ireland Data Protection Commission said in a report that as of Dec. 31 it had 15 ongoing investigations of multinational tech companies. Ten of the investigations were about Facebook or its subsidiaries, Instagram and WhatsApp. One of the investigations into Facebook is especially wide-ranging, examining whether the social network has met its obligations "to secure and safeguard the personal data of its users." Twitter faces a similar probe, the report says. The report, released early on Thursday on Dublin time, underscores how much Facebook's handling of sensitive personal data is dominating legal and policy debates about privacy -- and how much potential regulatory danger the social network faces in Europe, where privacy laws are more strict than in the U.S.

20 comments

  1. What about the 5 others? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Google?

    1. Re:What about the 5 others? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The five others are Creimer Worldwide Corp.

    2. Re:What about the 5 others? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      The report is online... 2 Twitter, 2 Apple, 1 LinkedIn....

    3. Re: What about the 5 others? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nobody gives a fuck. GDQ raises a couple $100,000 a day. You raised $7000 for what? An anti bully campaign? That's enough to pay for wardrobes. Good job.

    4. Re: What about the 5 others? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Big Brother Google must have been proactive in handing out suitcases full of cash. Nothing to see here, move along...

  2. A data privacy office has 15 open investigations by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 0

    Wow. It must be a really huge office to have fifteen open investigations!

    --
    #DeleteFacebook
  3. Re:A data privacy office has 15 open investigation by AmiMoJo · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The significance being that each one could potentially result in a fine of 4% of global turnover. I make that $2.2 billion per investigation.

    Unfortunately some of it probably pre-dates GDPR so the fines might not reach that level.

    Also it's good that they are being investigated for shirking their responsibilities.

    --
    const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
    SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
  4. Facebook is trying to collect MORE personal data by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    They recently locked my account and won't let me back in until I give them a mobile phone number. I do not have a mobile phone, and I am certainly not going to go buy one for Facebook.

  5. Re:Facebook is trying to collect MORE personal dat by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 2

    Any service that asks for your mobile phone number is a no-starter for me too.

    Why are people assuming everyone has a mobile phone number in 2019 is beyond comprehension. I know a lot of people who have a landline (no SMS), only have data (no SMS), some of them don't have either and only use any open wi-fi network they can find (no SMS either, only iMessage/etc).

    --
    #DeleteFacebook
  6. It is quite simple by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    at this time. Do not use Facebook at all. They are pure evil, should be obvious to all by now.

  7. The actual report by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The least one can do is link to the actual report:
    Annual Report
    25 May - 31 December 2018

  8. Tip of the iceberg by nazsco · · Score: 1

    Can't wait for the world to catch up and a market for "European smart TV" to become the next hot thing among affluent folks concerned with privacy.

  9. Yeah... So? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Should we pretend they will actually do anything?

  10. Robbers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Follow the money" is a strategy of thieves

  11. 14 replies by Teun · · Score: 1

    14 comments 5 hours after posting sounds like a loud Duh.

    --
    "The likes of Facebook and WhatsApp are free to those whose privacy is of zero value."
  12. A whole government department by jwymanm · · Score: 1

    To make money off of Facebook. Sounds fitting.

    1. Re:A whole government department by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Making money and Facebook is an interesting combination.
      Unlike many other companies often mentioned in the same context Facebook isn't an IT company.
      Their business model isn't directly tied to technology or research, even if they use them to become more efficient at their core business.

      It is a company dedicated to sell your private data without you getting a dime of it.
      They also have a side business where they use said data to control your thoughts and opinions by controlling what posts from friends and family you get exposed to.

      Other companies bring something positive to society. Even Microsoft during their most anti-competitive years brought something positive.
      Facebook on the other hand is only toxic and the world would be better off if they disappeared as soon as possible.

    2. Re:A whole government department by Cederic · · Score: 1

      No, a fucking idiot wrote the summary. The department exists to enforce data protection laws irrespective of in which country a company breaching them is based.