France's data regulators have fined both Meta and Facebook for violating EU privacy rules. Both companies failed to allow French users to easily reject cookie tracking technology, as required by EU privacy rules.
The fines were levied against the US and Irish operations of both companies. If they don't change their practices within three months, they will be fined daily.
The committee ordered the companies to give internet users in France a means of refusing cookies if they don't want them, in order to guarantee their freedom of consent within three months. The companies will have to pay a 100,000 euro per day delay penalty if they fail to do so.
Meta is reviewing the authority's decision and is committed to working with relevant authorities, a Meta spokesman told Politico. Our cookie consent controls give people more control over their data, including a new settings menu on Facebook and Instagram where people can revisit and manage their decisions at any time, and we continue to develop and improve these controls."
People trust us to keep them safe. We understand our responsibility to protect that trust and are committing to further changes and active work with the CNIL in light of this decision under the ePrivacy Directive.
The cookie legislation went into effect on March 31, 2021. The European e-Privacy rules and the General Data Protection Regulation have resulted in fines of 50 million and 100 million, respectively.
The 100 million fine is still being fought. It's expected to fight the latest sanction. Major tension between the EU and Ireland can be seen as a result of the fines against the Irish operations of Meta and Google. Ireland's actions are hostile toward user privacy and friendly to tech giants.
