Instagram fined EUR 405 million for mishandling teen personal data

Instagram has been fined EUR 405 million (about Rs 3,200 crore) on Monday for violating strict EU data privacy rules. The Meta-owned social media platform has been found to mishandle teenagers’ personal information. An investigation by Ireland’s Data Protection Commission reportedly revealed that Instagram displayed personal information from users between the ages of 13 and 17. Instagram’s parent Meta disagrees with the way the fine is calculated and has expressed a desire to appeal against the fine.

According to Reuters, Instagram will have to pay a fine of 405 million euros to the Irish authorities after it was found that it violates EU data privacy rules.

A data scientist reportedly found that Instagram displayed personal details of users between the ages of 13 and 17. The report suggested that many teen users who switched to a business account had their contact information displayed on their profiles.

It is believed that users switched to business accounts to track the statistics of their accounts. Instagram has reportedly started removing this feature from personal accounts in several countries.

Instagram has said the investigation by Ireland’s Data Protection Commission centered around “outdated settings” updated a year ago, including new privacy features for teens. The Irish watchdog will reveal the full details of the fine next week.