Facebook’s parent company, Meta, has been fined €1.2 billion (£1 billion) by Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) for violating the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The fine is the largest ever imposed under the GDPR, and it is a major setback for Meta.

The DPC found that Meta had failed to adequately protect the personal data of its European users when transferring it to the United States. Meta uses standard contractual clauses (SCCs) to transfer data between the EU and the US, but the DPC found that these clauses do not provide adequate safeguards for European users.

The DPC’s decision is a major victory for privacy advocates, who have long argued that Meta’s data practices are not in line with the GDPR. The decision is also a warning to other tech companies that they need to take their data protection obligations seriously.

Meta has said that it will appeal the fine, but it is unclear whether the appeal will be successful. The GDPR is a complex piece of legislation, and it is not clear whether the DPC’s decision will be upheld by the courts.

The fine is a major setback for Meta, and it is likely to have a significant impact on the company’s business. Meta is already facing increasing scrutiny from regulators around the world, and the fine is likely to make it even more difficult for the company to operate in the EU.

The fine is also a reminder of the importance of data privacy. In the digital age, our personal data is more valuable than ever before, and it is essential that we take steps to protect it.