LinkedIn is facing a €310 million fine from Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) for breaching the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This hefty penalty stems from LinkedIn’s use of customer data for behavior analysis and targeted advertising, which the DPC determined violated GDPR’s strict provisions.
Key GDPR Violations Cited
The DPC’s investigation highlighted three core GDPR breaches. LinkedIn reportedly failed to:
- Obtain Proper Consent: The company processed user data without correctly securing consent from its users, violating GDPR's clear consent guidelines.
- Provide Adequate Transparency: LinkedIn did not sufficiently inform users how their data would be used, contravening GDPR's requirements for data processing transparency.
- Ensure Fair Processing: The company’s data handling practices failed to meet the fairness and transparency standards mandated by the GDPR.
The affected data included both personal details that users shared directly on LinkedIn and data gathered from third-party LinkedIn integrations. By failing to establish a legal basis for processing personal data in these instances, LinkedIn compromised users' fundamental right to data protection, according to DPC Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle. In response, the DPC has ordered LinkedIn to adjust its data processing practices to align with GDPR standards.
Origin of the Investigation
The DPC’s investigation was triggered by a 2018 complaint to the French data regulator, brought by La Quadrature du Net, a Paris-based digital rights nonprofit. Given LinkedIn’s European headquarters are in Dublin, the Irish DPC took on the case as the lead regulator.
LinkedIn’s Response
In a statement on Thursday, LinkedIn noted its belief in its GDPR compliance but affirmed its intention to meet the DPC’s requirements by the specified deadline. LinkedIn also recently made waves by suspending its use of social media posts to train its AI model, which may signal a more cautious approach to data handling in light of the DPC’s ruling.
While LinkedIn has not yet clarified whether it will challenge the fine, the company’s stance on user data processing and privacy practices is clearly under close regulatory scrutiny.
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