Meta fined 91m euro over password breach

27 September 2024, 12:54

Meta logo on sign outside building
WhatsApp age limit change. Picture: PA

The issue applied to millions of Facebook and Instagram users.

Facebook parent company Meta has been fined 91 million euro by the Data Protection Commission.

It follows an investigation into Meta inadvertently storing certain user passwords in plaintext on its internal systems, meaning they were not protected by encryption.

The issue applied to millions of Facebook and Instagram users.

Meta Ireland notified the DPC of the breach in March 2019. The passwords were not made available to external parties.

The DPC found a range of infringements of GDPR rules including failing to notify the commissioner of the data breach, failing to document the data breach, not using appropriate security measures to protect the passwords, and not implementing appropriate organisational measures around the confidentiality of the passwords.

Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle said: “It is widely accepted that user passwords should not be stored in plaintext, considering the risks of abuse that arise from persons accessing such data.

“It must be borne in mind that the passwords the subject of consideration in this case are particularly sensitive, as they would enable access to users’ social media accounts.”

By Press Association

More Technology News

See more More Technology News

The Tesco website is pictured on a laptop with a bank card.

Tesco fixes online shopping basket glitch

iPhone 16e

Apple unveils new budget iPhone 16e

The Tesco website is pictured on a laptop

Tesco customers hit by online shopping glitch

A woman using a mobile phone

Digital wallets used for 29% of card transactions in 2023

Georgia Harrison attending the Bafta TV Awards 2024 (PA)

Georgia Harrison targets individuals profiteering from deepfake porn industry

Signage on the side of an Uber car

Meta and Uber among firms ‘linked’ to alleged corporate migrant worker abuse

Zara Mohammed comments

Elon Musk’s X looking for cash from investors – report

Studio

University launches multimillion-pound creative industry studio

Disposable vapes of varying flavours on sale in a store

Campaign to warn teenagers about vaping addiction

The X logo is seen on a smartphone screen

Irish Independent publisher takes legal action against X over ‘fake ads’

Elon Musk

Police quash claims armed ‘migrant mob’ stormed hospital after Elon Musk reposts fake AI-generated image

A DeepSeek page seen on a smartphone screen

DeepSeek accused of sharing user data with TikTok owner ByteDance

(L to R) Napier AI boss Greg Watson, Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald and Invest NI chief Kieran Donoghue in Belfast

London AI firm announces 106 jobs for Belfast

A man lying in bed, looking tired

Scientists develop smart pyjamas to monitor sleep conditions at home

E-scooters are currently illegal to use on the public highways including pavements.

E-scooters blamed for 'shocking' surge in uninsured teen riders with 2,000% increase in offences

Elon Musk speaks during an event in the Oval Office at the White House

Elon Musk’s xAI unveils Grok 3 model to take on ChatGPT and Google Gemini