Meta hit with $102 million privacy fine from European Union over 2019 password security lapse
Meta was punished with a 91 million euro fine from the social media giant’s European Union privacy regulator over a security lapse involving passwords for Facebook users
By AP News
Published - Sep 27, 2024, 08:23 AM ET
Last Updated - Dec 16, 2024, 06:50 PM EST
LONDON (AP) — Meta was punished Friday with a fine worth more than $100 million from the social media giant's European Union privacy regulator over a security lapse involving passwords for Facebook users.
The Irish Data Protection Commission said it slapped the U.S. tech company with the 91 million euro ($101.6 million) penalty following an investigation.
The watchdog started investigating in 2019 after it was notified by Meta that some passwords had been inadvertently stored internally in plain text, which means they weren't encrypted and it was possible for employees to search for them.
Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle said it's “widely accepted” that user passwords should not be stored in plain text, "considering the risks of abuse.”
