LinkedIn Hit With 310 Million Euro Fine For Data Privacy Violations From Irish Watchdog

LONDON — On Thursday, European Union regulators fined LinkedIn 310 million euros ($335 million) for violating the bloc’s rigorous data privacy regulations.

Ireland’s Data Protection Commission chastised the Microsoft-owned professional social networking site for worrying about the “lawfulness, fairness, and transparency” of its processing of personal data for advertising purposes.

Because Linked In’s European headquarters are in Dublin, the watchdog is the company’s primary privacy regulator in the EU’s 27 member countries.

LinkedIn Hit With 310 Million Euro Fine For Data Privacy Violations From Irish Watchdog

The watchdog said it conducted an investigation and discovered that Linked In lacked a valid basis to collect data to target users with online adverts, violating the General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR. It ordered LinkedIn to follow the guidelines.

Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle stated that processing personal data “without an appropriate legal basis is a clear and serious violation” of the EU’s right to data protection.

LinkedIn stated that, while it believes it has been “in compliance” with the guidelines, it is trying to verify that its “ad practices” match the standards.

SOURCE | AP