LinkedIn Fined $334 Million in EU for Illegal Data Breaches

Ireland’s data protection commission has fined LinkedIn Ireland $335 million for illegally processing the personal data of users within the European Union to deliver targeted advertising.

The decision also includes an order for Microsoft Corp.-owned LinkedIn to bring its data processing into compliance with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, according to a statement by the Irish Data Protection Commission on Thursday.

The Irish regulator’s Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle said in a statement that LinkedIn’s processing of personal data without an appropriate legal basis was a “clear and serious violation of data subjects’ fundamental right to data protection.”

LinkedIn said the case relates to claims from 2018 about some of its digital advertising efforts in the EU.

“While we believe we have complied with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we are working to ensure our ad practices meet this decision by the IDPC’s deadline,” a spokesperson said in a statement.

Ireland’s data protection commission launched an inquiry into LinkedIn’s data processing practices following a complaint made to the French data regulator. LinkedIn, like many other Big Tech companies, has its European headquarters in Ireland, which means that local regulators are tasked with enforcing EU rules.