LinkedIn fined €310 million for breaching data protection in the EU

LinkedIn has been fined 310 million euros for violating privacy laws in Europe, specifically the General Data Protection Regulation, by collecting user information without proper consent for targeted advertising.

LinkedIn has been held accountable for its data protection practices, setting a precedent for other companies to prioritize user privacy.
The hefty fine of 310 million euros serves as a warning to companies that they must comply with GDPR regulations or face severe consequences.
The investigation and subsequent fine highlight the importance of transparency and obtaining proper consent when collecting and using user data.

LinkedIn has recently received some troubling news in Europe, as it has been found guilty of violating several privacy laws in the region. The company has been fined a hefty sum of 310 million euros for data breach practices related to its advertising. The Irish Data Protection Commission, the authority responsible for data protection, has determined that LinkedIn breached the terms of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) through its advertising system. Specifically, it is alleged that LinkedIn collected user information through its advertising system without obtaining proper consent, thus violating the EU’s data protection terms.

The platform reportedly gathered personal data to create user profiles within its platform, which were then used for targeted advertising. Additionally, LinkedIn failed to inform users that it was collecting this information and for what purposes, which is also a violation of the law. Microsoft’s social platform attempted to argue that the data collection was based on user consent obtained during the use of the social network, but this argument was not deemed valid by the authorities.

With the magnitude of the fine imposed, LinkedIn now joins the list of the top ten largest fines for GDPR violations, with the amount based on the company’s revenue during the last fiscal year. It is worth noting that this is not the first time LinkedIn has faced fines for data protection breaches, but it is certainly one of the highest penalties imposed on the platform.

It is important to highlight that this fine stems from a complaint filed by the organization La Quadrature Du Net in 2018. The complaint was subsequently transferred to the Irish Data Protection Commission for further investigation. Although the investigation was initiated in August 2018, the final outcome has only recently been revealed, nearly six years after the initial complaint was filed.

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Background Information

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