WhatsApp Appeals €225 Million GDPR Fine to EU’s Top Court
WhatsApp Ireland Ltd has formally appealed a €225 million fine to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), the highest court in the EU. The appeal challenges a decision made by the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) regarding alleged breaches of data privacy obligations. This action follows a previous challenge in 2022, which was dismissed by the General Court of the CJEU. The court determined that the EDPB’s decision did not directly impact WhatsApp but rather targeted Ireland’s national data protection agency for enforcement.
The EDPB’s involvement stemmed from a fine imposed by the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) for WhatsApp’s failure to comply with multiple provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The DPC’s investigation revealed that WhatsApp did not adequately inform users about data transfers between its platform and Facebook, its parent company. Consequently, the EDPB decided to increase the original fine to approximately €225 million and mandated that WhatsApp cease its violations within three months.
Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, is currently facing several fines related to data protection issues across the EU. In Ireland, the data protection authority has levied multiple penalties against Meta in recent years, including a record fine of €1.2 billion in May 2024. Furthermore, a recent ruling by Germany’s highest court allows users to seek compensation for data breaches involving Facebook.
WhatsApp’s legal challenges highlight the ongoing scrutiny of data privacy practices within the EU and the significant penalties that can arise from non-compliance with GDPR regulations. As the situation evolves, the implications for WhatsApp and its parent company Meta will be closely monitored by legal experts and data protection authorities alike.
Source: WhatsApp challenges data protection fine at EU top court
