(Oct 24): Ireland’s data protection commission has fined LinkedIn €310 million (US$335 million or RM1.46 billion) for illegally processing the personal data of users within the European Union (EU) to deliver targeted advertising.

The decision also includes an order for Microsoft Corp-owned LinkedIn to bring its data processing into compliance with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), according to a statement by the Irish data protection commission on Thursday. 

Deputy commissioner Graham Doyle said in a statement that LinkedIn’s processing of personal data without an appropriate legal basis was a “clear and serious violation of data subjects’ fundamental right to data protection”. It’s the sixth-largest fine to be issued under the GDPR since it was introduced in 2018.

Irish regulator has issued hefty fines to several social media companies for GDPR violations in recent years. Facebook and Instagram parent Meta Platforms Inc has faced the brunt of the penalties, including a record €1.2 billion charge in May 2023 for transferring EU users’ data to the US. The commission fined ByteDance Ltd’s TikTok €345 million in September last year over its handling of children’s data. It’s part of a broader crackdown on Big Tech companies by the EU over a range of issues including data privacy, competition and disinformation.

LinkedIn said the case relates to claims from 2018 about some of its digital advertising efforts in the EU. 

“While we believe we have been in compliance with the GDPR, we are working to ensure our ad practices meet this decision by the IDPC’s deadline,” a spokesperson said in a statement, referring to Ireland’s Data Protection Commission.

The commission launched an inquiry into LinkedIn’s data processing practices following a complaint made to the French data regulator. LinkedIn, like many other Big Tech companies, has its European headquarters in Ireland, which means that local regulators are tasked with enforcing EU rules. 

Uploaded by Tham Yek Lee