Meta Platforms Ireland Limited
GDPR enforcement action by Data Protection Authority of Ireland on 2024-09-27.
Case details
- Authority
- Data Protection Authority of Ireland
- Date
- 2024-09-27
- Controller / Processor
- Meta Platforms Ireland Limited
- Sector
- Media, Telecoms and Broadcasting
- Quoted Articles
- Art. 5 (1) f) GDPR, Art. 32 (1) GDPR, Art. 33 (1), (5) GDPR
- Type of violation
- Insufficient technical and organisational measures to ensure information security
Summary
The Irish DPA (DPC) has imposed a fine of EUR 91 million on Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (MPIL). The DPC had initiated an investigation after MPIL reported that user passwords had been stored unencrypted on internal systems; however, external parties did not have access to these passwords.
During the investigation, the DPC found that MPIL had not implemented appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect personal data, as the passwords should have been stored in encrypted form. The DPC noted that storing unencrypted passwords increases the risk of misuse.
Furthermore, MPIL failed to report and properly document a data breach involving the storage of unencrypted passwords.