British privacy watchdog wants to fine Facebook 565,000 euros

The British privacy watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office, wants to impose a maximum fine of £500,000 on Facebook for violating the Data Protection Act 1998 in the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The fine is not yet final.

Privacy watchdog ICO reports that it has been investigating Facebook since February, referring to the fact that the social media company with Cambridge Analytica has collected the data of at least 50 million Facebook users worldwide through an app. According to the agency, this number has now risen to an estimated 87 million Facebook users.

According to the British privacy watchdog, this constitutes a violation of British law, because Facebook has failed to protect personal data. The fine of 565,000 euros is the maximum fine that can be imposed, but it is not yet final. Facebook has yet to respond to its intention to impose a fine from the Information Commissioner’s Office. Only then will a final decision be made.

As part of its investigation into Facebook, ICO raided Cambridge Analytica’s London headquarters in late March. Evidence was probably collected that was used to substantiate the intention to impose the maximum fine on Facebook.

Facebook’s chief privacy officer, Erin Egan, says her company has worked closely with ICO in their investigation of Cambridge Analytica. She says she is studying the report of the British privacy watchdog and will come up with a response soon. Egan already indicated that Facebook should have done more in 2015 with allegations against Cambridge Analytica.