Instagram Hit With Record $402 Million Fine Over Children's Data

Instagram has been fined a record $402 million by Ireland’s data privacy regulator over how the social media company handled children’s data.

According to Reuters, the investigation focused on the accounts of children between the ages 13 and 17 who operated businesses on the platform. Because they were operating business accounts, the children’s email addresses and/or phone numbers were published, something that would normally not be permitted for a child user.

Given the EU’s stricter data laws, greater emphasis is placed on protecting children online, regardless of whether they are running a business or not.

“We adopted our final decision last Friday and it does contain a fine of 405 million euro,” said the spokesman for Ireland’s Data Protection Commissioner (DPC).

The fine is the latest evidence of lawmakers and regulators cracking down on Big Tech and how it handles consumer data.