Data Digest № 034

Welcome to Datawallet’s Data Digest, where we review and occasionally analyze the latest news and the most critical developments in the data industry. Here’s a look at the latest developments:

WhatsApp Ireland sets aside €77.5 million for potential data compliance fines 

The Irish subsidiary of WhatsApp recorded a €11.2 million loss last year after setting aside €77.5 to pay for possible fees linked to an investigation led by the Irish Data Protection Commissioner. The investigation involved the examination of WhatsApp compliance with Articles 12 and 14 of the GDPR and the transparency around the information that the company shares with Facebook. Click here to read more. 

New Zealand’s new data privacy legislation comes into force

New Zealand’s Privacy Act 2020 has entered into effect. The new data protection law provides greater obligations to businesses processing personal information and grants the Privacy Commissioner more power to enforce compliance. You can learn more about Privacy Act 2020 here. 

SOMI calls for scrutiny of Palantir over possible privacy violations

Dutch privacy group SOMI has called for an investigation into the partnership that Palantir Technologies, a data analytics company, has with European law enforcement and intelligence agencies. SOMI argues that Palantir’s relationships with these agencies could constitute privacy violations. Click here to read more about the allegations made by SOMI. 

The Spanish Data Protection Agency approved a GDPR Code of Conduct on Advertising

On September 16th, the Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD) approved a “Code of Conduct for Data Processing in Advertising.” This is the first ever GDPR approved Code of Conduct with an EU supervisory authority. The code applies to the processing of data carried out for advertising purposes, such as direct marketing purposes and using cookies for targeted advertising. You can click here to read the official text in Spanish. 

Facebook fined $6.1 million by South Korean privacy watchdog

The South Korean Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) has fined Facebook $6.1 million for sharing user information without consent. The PIPC found that Facebook shared the personal information of 3.3 million South Korean users to other companies without consent between May 2012 and June 2018. You can read more about the breach here.