Meta challenges €405m fine over teenagers’ privacy rights

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Meta is challenging a €405 million fine over teenagers’ privacy rights at the High Court, after a hearing on 16 January 2023.

The Data Protection Commission imposed the fine following an inquiry into Instagram users aged 13 to 17 between May 2018 and September 2020.

The inquiry concerned default publication of teenagers’ phone numbers and email addresses on business accounts, a setting Instagram has since changed.

Meta says the DPC acted unlawfully and breached fair hearing rights; it seeks to have the decision quashed and parts of the 2018 Act declared invalid.

A High Court judge granted Meta permission to bring the action, which was adjourned to a date in February.