Instagram fined for violating GDPR regulations
The Irish Data Protection Commission fined Instagram in amount of €405 million euros for breaching the privacy rights of children under the EU General Data Protection Regulation.
The investigation focused on how the platform allowed users aged between 13 to 17 years to operate accounts which showed their phone numbers and email addresses.
This is the second largest fine imposed on a company for GDPR violations.
It is also the highest fine imposed on Meta (also owner of Facebook and WhatsApp) by the Irish watchdog, after imposing a 225 million euro fine on WhatsApp for breaching data protection rules.
This ruling clearly shows how effective enforcement under the Regulation can safeguard privacy rights particularly those of children.
It will hopefully act as an eye opener for many businesses around the world to update their systems in accordance with GDPR rules.
Be very careful and get your business fully GDPR verified and compliant.
About the Author
Head of Commercial & Country Manager
Zlatko Delev is Head of Commercial and Country Manager at GDPRLocal, where he leads the company’s commercial strategy and market presence. He brings international experience across sales, marketing, and customer success, along with a legal background from his studies at Iustinianus Primus Law School in Skopje, Macedonia.
Zlatko sits at the front line of GDPRLocal’s client relationships, guiding organisations through the first stages of their compliance journey and helping them understand where they stand and where they need to go on GDPR, information security, and the emerging landscape of AI regulation. His role bridges commercial strategy with practical data protection knowledge, ensuring clients get clear, actionable direction from their very first conversation with GDPRLocal.
Alongside his commercial focus, Zlatko has trained extensively in project management and organisational leadership, including risk management, stakeholder communication, agile methodology, and digital marketing, a broad skill set that supports his structured, delivery-focused approach to growing GDPRLocal’s business internationally.