Italian regulator fines Meta over user data misuse
The regulator found that Instagram users were not properly informed about their personal data being used for commercial purposes and that users were not given enough information on how to contest account suspensions.
Italy’s antitrust regulator AGCM (Autorita’ Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato) has fined Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, for unfair commercial practices. The authority imposed a fine of €3.5 million on Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd. and parent company Meta Platforms Inc. for two deceptive business practices regarding the creation and management of Facebook and Instagram social network accounts.
Namely, the watchdog stated that Instagram users were not adequately informed about how their personal data was used for commercial purposes and that users of both platforms were not given proper information on contesting account suspensions.
Meta has already addressed these issues, according to the regulator. A Meta spokesperson expressed disagreement with AGCM’s decision and mentioned that the company is considering its options. They also highlighted that since August 2023, Meta has implemented changes for Italian users to increase transparency about data usage for advertising on Instagram.
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