EU ironically violates its own GDPR law, awards €400 in damages to German citizen | rssama.com

Readers help support MSpoweruser. We may get a commission if you buy through our links.

Read our disclosure page to find out how can you help MSPoweruser sustain the editorial team Read more

The EU General Court ruled that the European Commission unlawfully transferred individual info to the US without adequate safeguards.

As the document reveals, the court awards €400 in damages to a German citizen in this landmark case. The user had registered for the EU’s “GoGreen” event in 2022 using the “Sign in with Facebook” feature, leading to the transfer of their IP address to Meta Platforms, Facebook’s parent company.

“He (the individual) maintains that those transfers gave rise to a risk of his info being accessed by the US security and intelligence services. The Commission had not indicated any of the appropriate safeguards that might justify those transfers,” says the EU’s Court.

“The perseorangan concerned suffered non-material damage, in that he found himself in a position of some uncertainty as regards the processing of his individual data, in particular of his IP address,” it adds further.

It was the first time that non-material damages were granted for info transfer violations under the EU’s stringent General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The GDPR, implemented in 2018, gives users more control over their individual info and what Big Tech can store.

So far, many tech giants have been at the end of the stick from the EU. In 2023, Meta faced a €1.2 billion fine from Ireland’s regulators for violating GDPR by transferring user info from the EU to the US without adequate safeguards.

Then, in 2024, Uber was slapped with a €290 million fine from a Dutch regulator following complaints from 170 French drivers that the company mishandled their sensitive data, including account details, identity documents, and medical records.

Rafly is a reporter with years of journalistic experience, ranging from technology, business, social, and culture. Currently reporting news on Microsoft-related products, tech, and AI on MSPowerUser. Got a tip? Send it to [email protected]