I’ve just received a message from Facebook in relation to an account of mine that I haven’t used in 10 years or more. The message announces a forthcoming change that will allow users to have a say in how their data are used. Intrigued, I had a look online and saw that Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, etc., was fined €1.2 billion (with a b) in late May for violation of European data-protection laws and will have to stop transferring user data from the EU to the US by the end of October.
Looks like a big deal. Until now, the highest analogous fine was €746 million imposed on Amazon in 2021.
More information from CNBC and The Guardian.