LinkedIn hit with 310M euro fine for data privacy violations from Irish watchdog

LONDON -- European Union regulators slapped LinkedIn connected Thursday pinch a 310 cardinal euro ($335 million) good for violations of nan bloc's stringent information privateness rules.

Ireland's Data Protection Commission reprimanded nan Microsoft-owned master societal networking tract complete concerns astir nan “lawfulness, fairness and transparency” of its individual information processing for advertizing purposes.

The Dublin-based watchdog is LinkedIn's lead privateness regulator successful nan 27-nation EU because that's wherever nan company's European office is based.

The watchdog said it carried retired an investigation that recovered LinkedIn did not person a lawful ground to stitchery information truthful it could target users pinch online ads, which is simply a breach of nan privateness rules known arsenic General Data Protection Regulation, aliases GDPR. It ordered LinkedIn to comply pinch nan rules.

Processing individual information “without an due ineligible ground is simply a clear and superior violation” of nan correct to information protection successful nan EU, Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle said successful a statement.

LinkedIn said it that while it believes it has been “in compliance” pinch nan rules, it's moving to guarantee its “ad practices” meet nan requirements.