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.