Twitter scores a first for big tech after being fined €450,000 by Ireland's data watchdog for violating the EU's GDPR

Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) has fined Twitter €450,000 after ruling a bug in the firm's Android app that allowed users' private messages to be publicly viewed infringed the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The fine is a first levied by the Irish government against one of the so-called Big Tech …

[Woodnag]

The fine could hardly be smaller

I doubt Twitter even care. Ireland's DPC showing their gums, not their teeth.

[big_D]

Re: The fine could hardly be smaller

There is usually leniancy in such situations, where the company cooperates with the authorities and shows contrition.

A few large fines in Germany have been reduced, because the companies involved worked closely with the registrars to ensure exposure was minimized and to take remedial action, so that such an event couldn't occur again.

[chivo243]

Just a formality?

What would happen if the watchdog didn't issue a required fine?

[Keven E]

Re: Jelly of the month

There'd be no x-mass bonuses this year!

https://youtu.be/TQXuazYI_YU

[doublelayer]

How impressive

So, the story is that Twitter had a bug which was clearly not intended and affected a subset of their users, failed to report in time, and got a fine so small they've already forgotten about it. Meanwhile, other companies do deliberate things which impact all of the customers, don't hide it, and get no consequences. Why would any company be worried about this? If this is the size of fines being handed out, they have nothing to worry about. If this is the only kind of investigation that gets done, one which can be completed by a simple program*, they have nothing to worry about. Any Irish out there who can petition their government to make their data protection office do more things?

* if ((reportTime-report.discoveredTime).days >= 3*mercyRatio) { report.company.fine(); }

[IGotOut]

Re: How impressive

The same government that gives huge tax breaks to the same tech companies?

Good luck with that.

[nonsequitur]

Re: How impressive

That assertion been proven incorrect so many times (in courts of law) that if I were dead already, you'd bore me back to death.

[bombastic bob]

Re: How impressive

Meanwhile, other companies do deliberate things

and Tw[a,i]tter too, as far as I am aware... [but yes this _IS_ the sad part]

I guess that fine was the equivalent of having one's birthday taken away.

[Winkypop]

Twitter fined in Ireland

Twitter accountants discover crafty new tax dodge in Ireland

Quid pro quo

Or in the local dialect: To be sure, to be sure

[Graham Cunningham]

after being fined

I see that being fined was a first, but what first did they score "after being fined"?

[Anonymous Coward]

fined €450,000

did they miss a zero, or two, at the end? No. Yeah, reduce the fine to 45K, or even 4.5K, what difference does it make anyway?

[Aussie Doc]

Wow

"...as an effective, proportionate and dissuasive measure..."

Gave me a giggle but, what???