- Honda and Nissan expected to begin merger talks
- 'Draconian' Vietnam internet law heightens free speech fears
- Israeli women mobilise against ultra-Orthodox military exemptions
- Asian markets track Wall St rally as US inflation eases rate worries
- Tens of thousands protest in Serbian capital over fatal train station accident
- Trump vows to 'stop transgender lunacy' as a top priority
- Daniels throws five TDs as Commanders down Eagles, Lions and Vikings win
- 'Who's next?': Misinformation and online threats after US CEO slaying
- Only 12 trucks delivered food, water in North Gaza Governorate since October: Oxfam
- Langers edge Tiger and son Charlie in PNC Championship playoff
- Explosive batsman Jacobs gets New Zealand call-up for Sri Lanka series
- Holders PSG edge through on penalties in French Cup
- Slovak PM Fico on surprise visit to Kremlin to talk gas deliveries
- Daniels throw five TDs as Commanders down Eagles
- Atalanta fight back to take top spot in Serie A, Roma hit five
- Mancini admits regrets over leaving Italy for Saudi Arabia
- Run machine Ayub shines as Pakistan sweep South Africa
- Slovak PM Fico on surprise visit to Kremlin
- Gaza rescuers say Israeli strikes kill 35
- 'Incredible' Liverpool must stay focused: Slot
- Maresca 'absolutely happy' as title-chasing Chelsea drop points in Everton draw
- Salah happy wherever career ends after inspiring Liverpool rout
- Three and easy as Dortmund move into Bundesliga top six
- Liverpool hit Spurs for six, Man Utd embarrassed by Bournemouth
- Netanyahu vows to act with 'force, determination' against Yemen's Huthis
- Mbappe back from 'bottom' as Real Madrid down Sevilla
- Ali hat-trick helps champions Ahly crush Belouizdad
- France kept on tenterhooks over new government
- Salah stars as rampant Liverpool hit Spurs for six
- Syria's new leader says all weapons to come under 'state control'
- 'Sonic 3' zips to top of N.America box office
- Rome's Trevi Fountain reopens to limited crowds
- Mbappe strikes as Real Madrid down Sevilla
- 'Nervous' Man Utd humiliated by Bournemouth
- Pope again condemns 'cruelty' of Israeli strikes on Gaza
- Lonely this Christmas: Vendee skippers in low-key celebrations on high seas
- Troubled Man Utd humiliated by Bournemouth
- 2 US pilots shot down over Red Sea in 'friendly fire' incident: military
- Man Utd embarrassed by Bournemouth, Chelsea held at Everton
- France awaits fourth government of the year
- Germany pledges security inquest into Christmas market attack
- Death toll in Brazil bus crash rises to 41
- Joshua bout only fight left for beaten Fury says promoter Hearn
- Odermatt stays hot to break Swiss World Cup wins record
- Neville says Rashford's career at Man Utd nearing 'inevitable ending'
- Syria's new leader vows not to negatively interfere in Lebanon
- Germany pledges security inquest after Christmas market attack
- Putin vows 'destruction' on Ukraine after Kazan drone attack
- Understated Usyk seeks recognition among boxing legends
- France awaits appointment of new government
Ireland fines Meta 251 mn euros over Facebook hacks
An Irish regulator helping police European Union data privacy on Tuesday said it had fined Facebook-owner Meta 251 million euros ($263 million) for a data protection failure that saw users' accounts hacked.
The Data Protection Commission (DPC) criticised Meta for a security flaw in its video upload function which hackers were able to exploit to gain full access to other users' Facebook profiles.
Over a two-week period in 2018, unauthorised users were able to hack into around 29 million Facebook accounts globally, including three million based in the EU.
The personal data involved included email addresses, phone numbers, locations and places of work.
"The failure to build in data protection requirements throughout the design and development cycle can expose individuals to very serious risks and harms, including a risk to the fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals," said Graham Doyle, the regulator's head of communications.
"By allowing unauthorised exposure of profile information, the vulnerabilities behind this breach caused a grave risk of misuse of these types of data," he added.
Meta Ireland and its US parent company remedied the breach shortly after its discovery, the DPC said, and reported the issue to the regulator in September 2018.
"We took immediate action to fix the problem as soon as it was identified, and we proactively informed people impacted as well as the Irish Data Protection Commission," a Meta spokesperson said.
- Big tech crackdown -
It is the latest fine in a series issued to the US social media giant and its rivals, as global regulators seek to rein in big tech firms over privacy, competition, disinformation and taxation.
The EU has been at the forefront of this regulation, with its strict General Data Protection Regulation, launched in 2018 to protect European consumers from personal data breaches.
Many global tech companies including Google, Apple and Meta, base their European operations in Dublin, attracted by Ireland's corporate tax rate.
As a result, Ireland's data protection agency is the lead regulator responsible for holding them to account.
The series of fines by the DPC against Meta over data breaches by its Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook services have been dwarfed by the tech giant's multi-billion-dollar earnings.
In September, the DPC hit Meta with a 91-million-euro fine for failing to put measures in place to protect users' password data and for taking too long to alert the regulator about the issue.
It came after the European Commission scored two major legal victories in separate cases that left Apple and Google owing billions of euros.
The regulator also recently hit Microsoft-owned LinkedIn with its first EU fine, a 310-million-euro penalty for personal data breaches over targeted advertising.
D.Kaufman--AMWN