The Irish Data Protection Commission has imposed a fine of 310 million euros on Microsoft-owned LinkedIn for violating the European General Data Protection Regulation, according to an official statement.
The investigation, initiated in 2018 following a complaint from a French organization, revealed that the professional networking platform collected user data from third parties for behavioral analysis without their consent or notification.
The Deputy Commissioner of the Irish Data Protection Commission emphasized that processing personal data without a legal basis is a serious violation of individuals’ fundamental rights.
LinkedIn announced its commitment to modify advertising practices to comply with European law requirements, despite believing in the safety of its previous procedures.
This penalty reflects a tightening of oversight on technology companies’ practices in Europe, following Meta being fined 101.5 million dollars weeks ago for storing users’ passwords without sufficient protection.
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