The European Union slapped Meta with a record $1.3 billion privacy fine Monday and ordered it to stop transferring users害羞草研究所� personal information across the Atlantic by October, the latest salvo in a .

The penalty of 1.2 billion euros is the biggest since the EU害羞草研究所檚 strict data privacy regime took effect five years ago, surpassing in 2021 for data protection violations.

Meta, which had previously warned that services for its users in Europe could be cut off, vowed to appeal and ask courts to immediately put the decision on hold.

The company said 害羞草研究所渢here is no immediate disruption to Facebook in Europe.害羞草研究所� The decision applies to user data like names, email and IP addresses, messages, viewing history, geolocation data and other information that Meta 害羞草研究所� and other tech giants like Google 害羞草研究所� use for targeted online ads.

害羞草研究所淭his decision is flawed, unjustified and sets a dangerous precedent for the countless other companies transferring data between the EU and U.S.,害羞草研究所� Nick Clegg, Meta害羞草研究所檚 president of global affairs, and chief legal officer Jennifer Newstead said in a statement.

It害羞草研究所檚 yet another twist in a legal battle that began in 2013 when Austrian lawyer and privacy activist Max Schrems filed a complaint about Facebook害羞草研究所檚 handling of his data following former National Security Agency contractor of electronic surveillance by U.S. security agencies. That included the disclosure that Facebook gave the agencies access to the personal data of Europeans.

The saga has highlighted the over the differences between Europe害羞草研究所檚 strict view on data privacy and the comparatively lax regime in the U.S., which lacks a federal privacy law. The EU has been a global leader in reining in the power of Big Tech with a series of regulations and protect users害羞草研究所� personal information.

An agreement covering EU-U.S. data transfers known as the by the EU害羞草研究所檚 top court, which said it didn害羞草研究所檛 do enough to protect residents from the U.S. government害羞草研究所檚 electronic prying. Monday害羞草研究所檚 decision confirmed that another tool to govern data transfers 害羞草研究所� stock legal contracts 害羞草研究所� was also invalid.

last year on a reworked Privacy Shield that Meta could use, but the pact is awaiting a decision from European officials on whether it adequately protects data privacy.

EU institutions have been reviewing the agreement, and the bloc害羞草研究所檚 lawmakers , saying the safeguards aren害羞草研究所檛 strong enough.

The Ireland害羞草研究所檚 Data Protection Commission handed down the fine as Meta害羞草研究所檚 lead privacy regulator in the 27-nation bloc because the Silicon Valley tech giant害羞草研究所檚 European headquarters is based in Dublin.

The Irish watchdog said it gave Meta five months to stop sending European user data to the U.S. and six months to bring its data operations into compliance 害羞草研究所渂y ceasing the unlawful processing, including storage, in the U.S.害羞草研究所� of European users害羞草研究所� personal data transferred in violation of the bloc害羞草研究所檚 privacy rules.

In other words, Meta has to erase all that data, which could be a bigger problem than the fine, said Johnny Ryan, senior fellow at the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, a nonprofit rights group that has worked on digital and data issues.

害羞草研究所淭his order to delete data is really a headache for Meta,害羞草研究所� Ryan said. If the company has to scrub data for hundreds of millions of European Union users going back 10 years, 害羞草研究所渋t is very hard to see how it will be able to comply with that order.害羞草研究所�

If a new transatlantic privacy agreement does take effect before the deadlines, 害羞草研究所渙ur services can continue as they do today without any disruption or impact on users,害羞草研究所� Meta said.

Schrems predicted that Meta has 害羞草研究所渘o real chance害羞草研究所� of getting the decision materially overturned. And a new privacy pact might not mean the end of Meta害羞草研究所檚 troubles, because there害羞草研究所檚 a good chance it could be tossed out by the EU害羞草研究所檚 top court, he said.

害羞草研究所淢eta plans to rely on the new deal for transfers going forward, but this is likely not a permanent fix,害羞草研究所� Schrems said in a statement. 害羞草研究所淯nless U.S. surveillance laws gets fixed, Meta will likely have to keep EU data in the EU.害羞草研究所�

Schrems said a possible solution could be a 害羞草研究所渇ederated害羞草研究所� social network, where European data stays in Meta害羞草研究所檚 data centers in Europe, 害羞草研究所渦nless users for example chat with a U.S. friend.害羞草研究所�

Meta warned in its latest earnings report that without a legal basis for data transfers, it will be forced to stop offering its products and services in Europe, 害羞草研究所渨hich would materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.害羞草研究所�

The social media company might have to carry out a costly and complex revamp of its operations if it害羞草研究所檚 ultimately forced to stop the transfers. Meta has a fleet of 21 data centers, according to its website, but 17 of them are in the United States. Three others are in the European nations of Denmark, Ireland and Sweden. Another is in Singapore.

Other social media giants are facing pressure over their data practices. about the Chinese-owned short video sharing app害羞草研究所檚 potential cybersecurity risks with a $1.5 billion project to store U.S. user data on Oracle servers.

Kelvin Chan, The Associated Press

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