Norway to fine Meta nearly $100,000 a day over privacy breaches

Facebook owner Meta Platforms will face daily fines of 1 million crowns ($98,500) starting from 14 August due to privacy breaches, as disclosed by Norway’s data protection authority.

This enforcement, which could potentially carry broader implications across Europe, follows a decision by the Norwegian regulator, Datatilsynet, on 17 July, warning of fines if privacy issues were not rectified.

Datatilsynet mandated that Meta is prohibited from collecting user data within Norway, including physical locations, for the purpose of targeted advertising known as behavioral advertising, a common practice among major tech companies.

The deadline for Meta Platforms to address these concerns was set for 4 August.

Tobias Judin, who leads Datatilsynet’s international section, told Reuters that the 1 million crown daily fine will be in effect until 3 November.

Meta last week said it intends to ask users in the European Union for their consent before allowing businesses to target advertising based on what they view on its services such as Facebook and Instagram.

Judin said that step was not enough. Meta had to stop the processing of personal data immediately, and until that consent mechanism was up and running.

“According to Meta, this will take several months, at the very earliest, for them to implement … And we don’t know what the consent mechanism will look like,” Judin to Reuters.

“And in the (meantime), peoples’ rights are being violated, every single day.”

Meta said the change was made to address regulatory requirements in the region and stems from an order in January by Ireland’s Data Protection Commissioner, Meta’s lead EU regulator, to reassess the legal basis on how it targets ads.

Norway is not a member of the European Union but is part of the European single market. AFP