Meta Fined $1.3 Billion Over Data Transfers to U.S.

The European Data Protection Board on Monday announced it fined Meta a record-setting €1.2 billion ($1.3 billion) for transferring the personal information of Facebook's European users to servers inside the United States.

"The EDPB found that Meta IE's infringement is very serious since it concerns transfers that are systematic, repetitive and continuous," said the board's chair, Andrea Jelinek, in a statement.

"Facebook has millions of users in Europe, so the volume of personal data transferred is massive," added Jelinek. "The unprecedented fine is a strong signal to organizations that serious infringements have far-reaching consequences.”

Meta, which is also the parent company of Instagram, Oculus, and WhatsApp, intends to appeal the decision and the fine.

The action against Meta comes after a complaint was lodged by the Irish Data Protection Commission, which regulates Meta's operations in Europe.

It is the largest fine paid by a company under Europe's signature data privacy law, known as the General Data Protection Regulation.

The board further ordered Meta to stop processing the personal data of Europeans using Facebook in the U.S. for at least six months.