What you need to know
- Microsoft expects to pay roughly $425 in a fine over alleged privacy violations by LinkedIn.
- The Irish Data Protection Commission is investigating LinkedIn over targeted advertising practices.
- Microsoft will increase its reserve to pay the fine and expects it to take effect in the fourth quarter of the 2023 fiscal year.
Microsoft expects to pay a $425 million fine over alleged privacy violations by LinkedIn. The Irish Data Protection Commission (IDPC) is currently investigating LinkedIn's actions in 2018. The investigation centers around if LinkedIn's targeted advertising practices violated European data protection law (via Reuters).
Since the order is not public, we don't have any specifics regarding the allegations. Targeted advertising is one focus of the European Union at the moment, as it relies heavily on people's data. The protection of personal data and disclosure of how it's used is one key element of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) privacy laws.
Facebook was fined €1.2bn by the IDPC earlier this year (via BBC). That punishment was in response to violations of the EU's GDPR privacy laws. Fines made within the European Union can be quite large since violators can be fined up to 4% of their annual worldwide turnover of the preceding year.
IDPC did not respond to a request by Reuters for a comment. Microsoft issued the following statement:
"After review and analysis, the company would increase its existing reserve for the matter and, based on current exchange rates take a charge of approximately $425 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2023."
Microsoft was informed of the preliminary decision in April, according to Reuters. The tech giant plans to dispute the fine once the IDPC issues it in its final form.
