Google, Facebook to be fined $235 million in France for violating data privacy rules

Politico reported that French regulators are fining Google 150 million euros and Facebook 60 million euros

January 6, 2022

google facebook | Interestingly, Google, Facebook will now face a combined $235 million fine for violating French data privacy rules reported Politico citing a document — Interestingly, Google, Facebook will now face a combined $235 million fine for violating French data privacy rules reported Politico citing a document

Google, Facebook to face major fines in France

The French watchdog Commission Nationale de I`informatique et Des Libertes (CNIL) is planning to fine Google 150 million euros and Facebook 60 million euros for violating French data privacy rules reported Politico citing a document.

Interestingly, Google and Facebook will now face a combined $235 million fine for cookie tracking in France.

Furthermore, the tech giants will be fined another 100,000 euros per day if they do not resolve the issues within three months of the CNIL decision being issued.

The action is being taken “for failing to allow French users to easily reject cookie tracking technology”, the report said late on Wednesday.

“We are reviewing the authority’s decision and remain committed to working with relevant authorities,” a Meta spokesperson was quoted as saying in the report.

“Our cookie consent controls provide people with greater control over their data, including a new settings menu on Facebook and Instagram where people can revisit and manage their decisions at any time, and we continue to develop and improve these controls,” the spokesperson added.

Google did not comment on the report.

It is not the first time that the French privacy regulator has fined Big Tech.

In December 2020, the CNIL fined Amazon and Google 35 million euros and 100 million euros, respectively, for cookie violations under the e-Privacy rules.

Google has also been fined earlier by the watchdog for 50 million euros under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

WhatsApp was hit with a 225 million euros fine in September last year “for not being transparent about how it shared data with its parent company”, reports ZDNet.

Facebook is also facing millions in fines for violating GDPR privacy rules about deceptive data collection policies.

[With Inputs from IANS]

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