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☆ Top EU regulator defends mega $1.3 billion privacy fine on Meta: ‘I have to enforce the law’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A top European Union data privacy regulator on Wednesday defended a decision to hit Meta with a record-setting 1.2 billion euro ($1.3 billion) fine, saying that she had to enforce the law based on existing regulations. Meta on Monday was fined a record 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion) by the Irish Data Protection Commission for breaching the EU's tough rules on data privacy, known as the General Data Protection Regulation. GDPR is a landmark data protection regulation that governs firms in the bloc. She added, "This new agreement, called the European Data Privacy Framework, it's still pending. The Monday Meta fine is the largest to date since the EU's GDPR came into force.

Persons: Helen Dixon, —, Dixon, CNBC's, Meta, it's, GDPR, Arjun Kharpal Organizations: Data, Ireland, Meta, Irish Data Protection, General Data, Amazon, U.S, EU, European Court of Justice Locations: EU, Luxembourg, Ireland, U.S

REUTERS/Dado RuvicMay 17 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms Inc (META.O) is set to face a record European Union privacy fine related to data transfer of Facebook's EU users to U.S. servers for failing to comply with a warning by a top EU court, two sources familiar with the matter said. The penalty will be higher than the previous record 746 million euros ($821.20 million) fine for Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O), according to the sources. Meta declined to comment, while the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) and the European Commission did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. EU regulators led by Ireland's Data Protection Commissioner Helen Dixon have been finalising a ban on the legal tool used by Facebook to transfer European user data because of concerns U.S. intelligence agencies could access the information. Europe's highest court ruled in 2020 that an EU-U.S. data transfer agreement was invalid, citing surveillance concerns.

☆ Irish data regulator warns against rushing into chatbot bans
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"It needs to be regulated and it's about figuring out how to regulate it properly," Ireland's Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) Helen Dixon told a Bloomberg conference, saying the debate extended to thousands of ChatGPT equivalents. "For the Irish data protection commission, where we are at is trying to understand a little bit more about the technology, about the large language models, about where the training data is sourced." "So I think it's early days, but it's time to be having those conversations now rather than rushing into prohibitions that really aren't going to stand up." Dixon added that the issues around Generative AI span far beyond data protection and include copyright and defamation concerns. "We also want to contribute to broader discussions about the risks and about other areas of law that converge in AI," she said.

☆ Irish regulator has month to make order on EU-US Facebook data transfers
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBLIN, April 13 (Reuters) - Ireland's data regulator has one month to make an order on blocking Facebook's transatlantic data flows, European Union regulators said on Thursday. EU regulators led by Ireland's Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) Helen Dixon have been finalising a ban on the legal tool used by Facebook to transfer European user data because of concerns U.S. intelligence agencies could access the information. Dixon, who is lead regulator for Facebook parent Meta (META.O) because its European headquarters are in Ireland, last month said the ban could be in place by mid-May. While the statement did not say what the decision was, Dixon has said other regulators had not disputed her order to ban the data transfer mechanism. Officials have said a new EU-U.S. data protection framework, which aims to offer EU citizens the same level of data protection as under European law, may be ready by July.

☆ New EU-US data pact may come too late for Facebook -regulator
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Conor Humphries | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SummarySummary Companies Facebook may face EU-U.S. data freeze by MayAction due to concerns about U.S. intelligenceNew EU-U.S data privacy deal may come laterDUBLIN, March 7 (Reuters) - A new pact to facilitate the safe transfer of EU citizens' personal data to the United States might not come into force in time to avoid a suspension of Facebook's transatlantic data flows, the U.S. firm's lead European regulator said on Tuesday. European Union regulators led by Ireland's Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) Helen Dixon are finalising a ban on the legal tool used by Facebook to transfer European user data because of concerns U.S. intelligence agencies could access them. In an interview, Dixon said the ban could be in place by mid-May while a new EU-U.S data protection framework that would provide an alternative basis for the transfers might take longer. It must be signed off by other European regulators by April 13, and after that, Dixon said she would have another month to issue a ruling. NEW FRAMEWORKOfficials have said the new EU-U.S. framework, which aims to offer EU citizens the same level of data protection as under European law, may be ready by summer.

☆ Twitter's lead EU regulator concerned over blue tick roll-out
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Conor Humphries | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DUBLIN, March 7 (Reuters) - Twitter's lead European Union privacy regulator said on Tuesday she was concerned that the Elon Musk-owned U.S. firm had launched its Twitter Blue subscription service in the region without consulting her office, despite a pledge to do so. Ireland's Data Protection Commissioner Helen Dixon, Twitter's lead EU regulator due to the location of its European headquarters in Dublin, said the service raised privacy issues including around verification of accounts to prevent users posing as public figures. Dixon in November expressed concern about the impact of steep job cuts on Twitter's ability to meet privacy obligations following billionaire Musk's takeover the previous month. Twitter now has a "very strong" data protection officer, she said. "But beyond the data protection office, there are clearly other forces at play.

☆ Twitter answering privacy concerns 'so far' - lead EU regulator
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Padraic Halpin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DUBLIN, Nov 28 (Reuters) - The lead privacy regulator for Twitter in the European Union said it was concerned about the potential impact of layoffs at the social media company on its ability to meet privacy obligations, but said it was so far getting answers to its questions. Twitter has fired top executives and enforced steep job cuts with little warning following billionaire Elon Musk's tumultuous takeover of the company last month. Prior to the cuts, Twitter employed around 500 people at its European headquarters in Dublin where - like many other tech giants - Ireland's Data Privacy Commissioner (DPC) is the social media platform's lead privacy regulator within the EU. So far we're getting answers to our questions," DPC head Helen Dixon told Irish national broadcaster RTE on Monday. The watchdog said it had also been able to continue with six investigations into Twitter relating to potential privacy breaches that pre-date Musk's acquisition.

☆ Twitter answering privacy concerns "so far" - lead EU regulator
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

DUBLIN, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Twitter's lead privacy regulator in the European Union said it is concerned about the impact layoffs at the social media company may have on its ability to meet privacy obligations but is so far getting answers to its questions. So far we're getting answers to our questions," Ireland's Data Privacy Commissioner (DPC) Helen Dixon told Irish national broadcaster RTE on Monday. "We're in multiple daily contact with them and we've a range of contacts still based at Twitter in Dublin. It's a fast evolving situation, I think where we arrive at the point where we can't get answers and we have no point of contact, then we will be in very serious difficulty." Reporting by Padraic Halpin; Editing by Toby ChopraOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Irish privacy regulator fines Facebook 265 mln euros
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Padraic Halpin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DUBLIN, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Ireland's data privacy regulator imposed a 265 million euro ($277 million) fine on social media giant Facebook on Monday, bringing the total it has fined parent group Meta (META.O) to almost 1 billion euros. It is Meta's lead privacy regulator within the European Union, and has 13 more inquiries into the social media group outstanding. In September the watchdog hit its Instagram subsidiary with a record fine of 405 million euros, which Meta plans to appeal. The DPC said mitigating factors in Monday's decision - which had been approved by all other relevant EU regulators - included the actions Facebook had taken. "We'll keep going until the behaviour does change," Ireland's Data Privacy Commissioner (DPC) Helen Dixon told Irish national broadcaster RTE on Monday.

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