Meta Platforms fined $14 million for Onavo privacy issues: Report

Amaka Nwaokocha10 hours agoMeta Platforms fined $14 million for Onavo privacy issues: ReportThe decision in an Australian court was driven by increasing concerns about illicit activities in the crypto market and the desire to safeguard investors.2768 Total views12 Total sharesListen to article 0:00NewsJoin us on social networksAn Australian court has reportedly ordered Meta Platforms, the owner of Facebook, to pay fines amounting to 20 million Australian dollars ($14 million) for collecting user data through a smartphone application, Onavo. 

According to a Reuters report, Australia’s Federal Court has ordered Meta, via its subsidiaries Facebook Israel and the discontinued app, Onavo, to reimburse AU$400,000 ($270,356) in legal costs to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). The ACCC initiated the civil lawsuit against Meta, alleging that Onavo was promoted as a privacy protection tool but failed to reveal its data collection methods openly.

Facebook used Onavo to collect users’ location, time and frequency using other smartphone apps and websites they visited for its own advertising purposes, Judge Wendy Abraham said in a written judgment, according to the report.

Related:Alibaba to support Meta’s AI model Llama: Report

Meta reportedly stated that the ACCC had recognized its lack of intent to mislead customers, and it emphasized its efforts in developing tools over the past few years to provide users with increased transparency and control over their data usage.

The imposed fine marks the conclusion of one aspect of Meta’s legal challenges in Australia concerning its management of user data, Reuters said. This legal matter emerged amid a scandal involving Meta’s association with data analytics firm Cambridge Analytica during the 2016 United States presidential election.

However, Meta’s legal woes are not over yet, as it is reportedly also facing a civil court action by Australia’s Office of the Information Commissioner regarding its dealings with Cambridge Analytica, specifically in Australia.

Cointelegraph reached out to Meta for more information but did not receive a response by publication.

Collect this article as an NFTto preserve this moment in history and show your support for independent journalism in the crypto space.

Magazine:Is the Metaverse really turning out like ‘Snow Crash’?# Business# Australia# Technology# Data# Meta# RegulationAdd reactionAdd reactionRelated NewsHow to actually spend your Bitcoin, ExplainedExistential threat? Why some banks are anxious about CBDCs7 real-world IoT applications and examplesUS senator pushes tech companies to label AI-generated contentThe EU’s AI regulations sparked a letter signed by 160 tech execsGoogle hit with lawsuit over new AI data-scraping privacy policy