Meta fined $263 million for 2018 security breach

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Meta, the tech giant previously known as Facebook, was slapped with a $263 million fine by the Irish Data Protection Commission for a major security lapse that affected millions in 2018. This also puts the onus back on data protection in the modern digital space.

What happened in 2018?

During the summer of 2017, Meta detected a bug in “View As,” a feature within its social media platform Facebook, allowing users to see their profile as others would. However, the feature was leveraged by hackers in 2018, whereby they could access the full profiles of about 29 million users. The stolen information included full names, email addresses, phone numbers, current and former locations, employment information, birthdates, and other sensitive personal details.

Meta’s response and GDPR implications

Even though Meta did an efficient job in acting with speed and remediating the flaw and rewriting the affected feature, it still fell into some troubles for failure to fulfill certain obligations under the GDPR of the European Union: a law that forces companies to guarantee the security of the personal information of European Union citizens, to cite just one requirement.

The $263 million fine imposed by the DPC underlines the gravity of the security breach and underlines the commitment by authorities to protect users’ personal data. This is among the largest sanctions ever imposed on a company for violating the GDPR and thus sends a strong signal to the global tech industry.

What’s next for users and the industry?

Following this penalty, Meta has declared other measures to improve data security and prevent such incidents in the future. The company has increased efforts in raising users’ awareness of personal data protection and implemented advanced security technologies.

For users, the security breach and the fine imposed bring into focus the need for vigilance in the protection of personal information online. Users should be aware of the security settings of their accounts and follow cybersecurity practices like two-factor authentication and periodic password changes.

Conclusion

The 2018 security breach and the hefty fine imposed on Meta are a painful reminder of the risks associated with managing personal data in the digital age. These events, however, also serve as an opportunity for companies and users to learn and improve cybersecurity practices in order to better protect personal information in the future.

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