The dispute between Instagram and the EU roots back in 2020 when Ireland’s Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) launched a probe into Instagram’s handling of children’s data. The probe was first sparked by a US-based data scientist who found that Instagram allows underage children to change their account settings to business. This makes their contact information public and could expose them to various threats. The DPC investigation wanted to ensure that Facebook (later rebranded as Meta) did its best to protect children’s privacy. The EU is now about to announce its final decision. According to DPC’s deputy commissioner, Graham Doyle, the final decision goes public by “the end of the last week in August or the first week in September.”
Instagram may face a heavy fine in Europe over the handling of children’s data
Instagram is now accused of violating the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Of course, everything depends on the final verdict that the EU will rule. The fine that Meta and its subset platform could face in case of being found guilty is still unknown. However, the company may face one of the heaviest fines ever imposed by the EU on a foreign company. Instagram’s handling of children’s data is also a controversial issue for the company in the United States. Last year, the company announced its plans to build a dedicated app for children. Then, it paused the plans over privacy concerns. Back in February, Senators Richard Blumenthal and Marsha Blackburn introduced a new bill that aimed to increase children’s privacy on social media. The bill gave children more control over their shared data on online platforms. Of course, forcing social media platforms to comply with the bill guidelines is a challenge for lawmakers.
