Amazon&nbsp;was fined 746 million euros ($880 million) by Luxembourg authorities over allegations it flouted the EU's data protection rules, the online retail giant said Friday.

The fine was issued July 16 by the Luxembourg National Commission for Data Protection following its determination that "Amazon's processing of personal data did not comply with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR),"&nbsp;Amazon&nbsp;said in a securities filing.&nbsp;

"We believe the CNPD's decision to be without merit and intend to defend ourselves vigorously in this matter," the company added, using the organization's French acronym.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/amazon-may-face-eu-antitrust-charges-over-merchant-data-in-coming-weeks-source-305233">Amazon may face EU antitrust charges over merchant data in coming weeks: source</a>

The fine was believed to be the largest ever for a data protection violation since the passage of the regulation.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) document offered no details, but&nbsp;Amazon&nbsp;was sued by a European consumer group claiming personal data was collected for ad targeting without permission.

The Luxembourg agency confirmed that it made a ruling this month on&nbsp;Amazon&nbsp;but declined to elaborate, saying its investigations are confidential.

It was the latest case of US tech firms being hit with violations of the landmark GDPR.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/france-imposes-135-mn-euros-in-fines-on-google-amazon-348773">France imposes 135 mn euros in fines on Google, Amazon</a>

French authorities fined&nbsp;Amazon&nbsp;35 million euros last year for failing to follow laws on browser "cookies" that track users. Google was hit with a fine of 100 million euros for similar violations.

Facebook is under investigation in Ireland after details on 533 million users were leaked on a hacking website

Under the GDPR, which came into effect in 2018, internet users have a wider range of rights relating to their data.

Regulators have been armed with new powers including the ability to fine firms up to four per cent of their annual global turnover.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/microsoft-pledges-to-store-european-cloud-data-in-europe-383195">Microsoft pledges to store European cloud data in Europe</a>

The GDPR has resulted in fines imposed not only on technology firms but marketers, data brokers, Austria's postal service and even the Spanish football association, La Liga.

Amazon&nbsp;made the disclosure as part of its quarterly update which showed profits jumped 48 per cent from a year ago to $7.8 billion and revenues increased 27 per cent to $113.1 billion in the April-June period.

Amazon was fined 746 million euros ($880 million) by Luxembourg authorities over allegations it flouted the EU's data protection rules, the online retail giant said Friday.

Amazon was fined 746 million euros ($880 million) by Luxembourg authorities over allegations it flouted the EU's data protection rules, the online retail giant said Friday. The fine was issued July 16 by the Luxembourg National Commission for Data Protection following its determination that "Amazon's processing of personal data did not comply with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)," Amazon said in a securities filing. "We believe the CNPD's decision to be without merit and intend to defend ourselves vigorously in this matter," the company added, using the organization's French acronym. Also read | Amazon may face EU antitrust charges over merchant data in coming weeks: source The fine was believed to be the largest ever for a data protection violation since the passage of the regulation. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) document offered no details, but Amazon was sued by a European consumer group claiming personal data was collected for ad targeting without permission. The Luxembourg agency confirmed that it made a ruling this month on Amazon but declined to elaborate, saying its investigations are confidential. It was the latest case of US tech firms being hit with violations of the landmark GDPR. Also read | France imposes 135 mn euros in fines on Google, Amazon French authorities fined Amazon 35 million euros last year for failing to follow laws on browser "cookies" that track users. Google was hit with a fine of 100 million euros for similar violations. Facebook is under investigation in Ireland after details on 533 million users were leaked on a hacking website Under the GDPR, which came into effect in 2018, internet users have a wider range of rights relating to their data. Regulators have been armed with new powers including the ability to fine firms up to four per cent of their annual global turnover. Also read | Microsoft pledges to store European cloud data in Europe The GDPR has resulted in fines imposed not only on technology firms but marketers, data brokers, Austria's postal service and even the Spanish football association, La Liga. Amazon made the disclosure as part of its quarterly update which showed profits jumped 48 per cent from a year ago to $7.8 billion and revenues increased 27 per cent to $113.1 billion in the April-June period.

Amazon fined 746 million euros in Luxembourg over data privacy

A French NGO said Friday it was pursuing a class action suit against Facebook, saying the social network was violating users' privacy despite the enactment of strict new EU rules this year.

Internet Society France, part of the Internet Society global advocacy group, said it had sent Facebook a formal notice listing seven areas where it had allegedly failed to respect personal data.

It said several hundred people had joined its campaign, part of the "eBastille" initiative, and it hopes to get 100 million of Facebook's 278 million users in France to back the lawsuit.

"This action aims to show that individuals are neither alone nor powerless to have their rights respected," said Odile Ambry, the group's honorary president.

"We hope this will create a European dynamic," she said.

Facebook's alleged faults include gathering data on users' sexuality, religious beliefs and political views, and not allowing people to partially block data gathering.

The group also claims Facebook uses cookies to trace internet activity of people who simply consult its website without being members.

The social media giant has four months to respond to the notice under the EU's General Data Protection Regulation or (GDPR) which came into effect last May. Failing to respond could trigger the class action suit.

The new rules give internet users more control over their personal data, and requires companies to be more explicit in how such data is used.

Internet Society France estimates that if the social media giant is found to have breached privacy laws, it should have to pay damages to each user.

Its campaign comes ahead of Unesco's annual internet governance forum which opens in Paris on Monday, in which the NGO is participating.

Facebook executives will also be in Paris next week as part of Paris Digital Week alongside the Paris Peace Forum being hosted by President Emmanuel Macron.

A French NGO said Friday it was pursuing a class action suit against Facebook, saying the social network was violating users' privacy despite the enactment of strict new EU rules this year.

A French NGO said Friday it was pursuing a class action suit against Facebook, saying the social network was violating users' privacy despite the enactment of strict new EU rules this year. Internet Society France, part of the Internet Society global advocacy group, said it had sent Facebook a formal notice listing seven areas where it had allegedly failed to respect personal data. It said several hundred people had joined its campaign, part of the "eBastille" initiative, and it hopes to get 100 million of Facebook's 278 million users in France to back the lawsuit. "This action aims to show that individuals are neither alone nor powerless to have their rights respected," said Odile Ambry, the group's honorary president. "We hope this will create a European dynamic," she said. Facebook's alleged faults include gathering data on users' sexuality, religious beliefs and political views, and not allowing people to partially block data gathering. The group also claims Facebook uses cookies to trace internet activity of people who simply consult its website without being members. The social media giant has four months to respond to the notice under the EU's General Data Protection Regulation or (GDPR) which came into effect last May. Failing to respond could trigger the class action suit. The new rules give internet users more control over their personal data, and requires companies to be more explicit in how such data is used. Internet Society France estimates that if the social media giant is found to have breached privacy laws, it should have to pay damages to each user. Its campaign comes ahead of Unesco's annual internet governance forum which opens in Paris on Monday, in which the NGO is participating. Facebook executives will also be in Paris next week as part of Paris Digital Week alongside the Paris Peace Forum being hosted by President Emmanuel Macron.

French NGO threatens Facebook with privacy lawsuit

The EU’s new data regulation is slated to come into effect this week on May 25. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) promises more power to individuals and puts companies with a large pool of user data under the scanner.

This means that with the new regulation coming into force, individuals can now demand companies to reveal or delete their personal data.

The law will replace the 1995 Data Protection Directive and will finally be put to practice after seven years of debate.&nbsp

The GDPR will primarily have companies under its purview, firms of all kinds ranging from technology, banking, to advertising among others. The lot that is likely to bear the most brunt includes companies that primarily deal with acquiring and exploiting large-scale consumer data.

Companies will now need to practice utmost transparency while dealing with consumer data. Consent will have paramount significance, without consumer consent it will now be difficult for companies to process an individual's personal information.&nbsp

The GDPR rollout, this Friday, will mean that users will have the power to hold companies accountable for data breach like never before. Tech giants will now be pressured into changing policies and ushering in new measures that would provide more transparency with respect to the usage and processing of user information that they collect.&nbsp

Facebook, for instance, recently introduced tools that let its users manage, control, edit, review, download and delete information that is shared on/with Facebook as well as with third-party entities.&nbsp

GDPR has ambitious goals to achieve, whether or not it will work to avoid events like the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica episode is for all of us to see. The new regulation will have companies on their toes, cautious like never before as they face the risk of paying as much as 4% of their global turnover as a fine for violating the regulation.&nbsp

Companies will now need to practice utmost transparency while dealing with consumer data

The EU’s new data regulation is slated to come into effect this week on May 25. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) promises more power to individuals and puts companies with a large pool of user data under the scanner. This means that with the new regulation coming into force, individuals can now demand companies to reveal or delete their personal data. The law will replace the 1995 Data Protection Directive and will finally be put to practice after seven years of debate. The GDPR will primarily have companies under its purview, firms of all kinds ranging from technology, banking, to advertising among others. The lot that is likely to bear the most brunt includes companies that primarily deal with acquiring and exploiting large-scale consumer data. Companies will now need to practice utmost transparency while dealing with consumer data. Consent will have paramount significance, without consumer consent it will now be difficult for companies to process an individual's personal information. The GDPR rollout, this Friday, will mean that users will have the power to hold companies accountable for data breach like never before. Tech giants will now be pressured into changing policies and ushering in new measures that would provide more transparency with respect to the usage and processing of user information that they collect. Facebook, for instance, recently introduced tools that let its users manage, control, edit, review, download and delete information that is shared on/with Facebook as well as with third-party entities. GDPR has ambitious goals to achieve, whether or not it will work to avoid events like the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica episode is for all of us to see. The new regulation will have companies on their toes, cautious like never before as they face the risk of paying as much as 4% of their global turnover as a fine for violating the regulation.

What is GDPR? EU's new data regulation law may choke tech giants

If a new European law restricting what companies can do with people's online data went into effect tomorrow, almost 1.9 billion Facebook Inc users around the world would be protected by it. The online social network is making changes that ensure the number will be much smaller.

Facebook members outside the United States and Canada, whether they know it or not, are currently governed by terms of service agreed with the company's international headquarters in Ireland.

Next month, Facebook is planning to make that the case for only European users, meaning 1.5 billion members in Africa, Asia, Australia and Latin America will not fall under the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which takes effect on May 25.

The previously unreported move, which Facebook confirmed to Reuters on Tuesday, shows the world's largest online social network is keen to reduce its exposure to GDPR, which allows European regulators to fine companies for collecting or using personal data without users' consent.

That removes a huge potential liability for Facebook, as the new EU law allows for fines of up to 4 percent of global annual revenue for infractions, which in Facebook's case could mean billions of dollars.

The change comes as Facebook is under scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers around the world since disclosing last month that the personal information of millions of users wrongly ended up in the hands of political consultancy Cambridge Analytica, setting off wider concerns about how it handles user data.

The change affects more than 70 percent of Facebook's 2 billion-plus members. As of December, Facebook had 239 million users in the United States and Canada, 370 million in Europe and 1.52 billion users elsewhere.

Facebook, like many other U.S. technology companies, established an Irish subsidiary in 2008 and took advantage of the country's low corporate tax rates, routing through it revenue from some advertisers outside North America. The unit is subject to regulations applied by the 28-nation European Union.

Facebook said the latest change does not have tax implications.

'IN SPIRIT'

In a statement given to Reuters, Facebook played down the importance of the terms of service change, saying it plans to make the privacy controls and settings that Europe will get under GDPR available to the rest of the world.

"We apply the same privacy protections everywhere, regardless of whether your agreement is with Facebook Inc or Facebook Ireland," the company said.

Earlier this month, Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg told Reuters in an interview that his company would apply the EU law globally "in spirit," but stopped short of committing to it as the standard for the social network across the world.

In practice, the change means the 1.5 billion affected users will not be able to file complaints with Ireland's Data Protection Commissioner or in Irish courts. Instead they will be governed by more lenient U.S. privacy laws, said Michael Veale, a technology policy researcher at University College London.

Facebook will have more leeway in how it handles data about those users, Veale said. Certain types of data such as browsing history, for instance, are considered personal data under EU law but are not as protected in the United States, he said.

The company said its rationale for the change was related to the European Union's mandated privacy notices, "because EU law requires specific language." For example, the company said, the new EU law requires specific legal terminology about the legal basis for processing data which does not exist in U.S. law.

NO WARNING

Ireland was unaware of the change. One Irish official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he did not know of any plans by Facebook to transfer responsibilities wholesale to the United States or to decrease Facebook's presence in Ireland, where the social network is seeking to recruit more than 100 new staff.

Facebook released a revised terms of service in draft form two weeks ago, and they are scheduled to take effect next month.

Other multinational companies are also planning changes. LinkedIn, a unit of Microsoft Corp, tells users in its existing terms of service that if they are outside the United States, they have a contract with LinkedIn Ireland. New terms that take effect May 8 move non-Europeans to contracts with U.S.-based LinkedIn Corp.

LinkedIn said in a statement on Wednesday that all users are entitled to the same privacy protections. "We've simply streamlined the contract location to ensure all members understand the LinkedIn entity responsible for their personal data," the company said.

The European Union's General Data Protection Regulation, restricting what companies can do with people's online data, will take effect on May 25

If a new European law restricting what companies can do with people's online data went into effect tomorrow, almost 1.9 billion Facebook Inc users around the world would be protected by it. The online social network is making changes that ensure the number will be much smaller. Facebook members outside the United States and Canada, whether they know it or not, are currently governed by terms of service agreed with the company's international headquarters in Ireland. Next month, Facebook is planning to make that the case for only European users, meaning 1.5 billion members in Africa, Asia, Australia and Latin America will not fall under the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which takes effect on May 25. The previously unreported move, which Facebook confirmed to Reuters on Tuesday, shows the world's largest online social network is keen to reduce its exposure to GDPR, which allows European regulators to fine companies for collecting or using personal data without users' consent. That removes a huge potential liability for Facebook, as the new EU law allows for fines of up to 4 percent of global annual revenue for infractions, which in Facebook's case could mean billions of dollars. The change comes as Facebook is under scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers around the world since disclosing last month that the personal information of millions of users wrongly ended up in the hands of political consultancy Cambridge Analytica, setting off wider concerns about how it handles user data. The change affects more than 70 percent of Facebook's 2 billion-plus members. As of December, Facebook had 239 million users in the United States and Canada, 370 million in Europe and 1.52 billion users elsewhere. Facebook, like many other U.S. technology companies, established an Irish subsidiary in 2008 and took advantage of the country's low corporate tax rates, routing through it revenue from some advertisers outside North America. The unit is subject to regulations applied by the 28-nation European Union. Facebook said the latest change does not have tax implications. 'IN SPIRIT' In a statement given to Reuters, Facebook played down the importance of the terms of service change, saying it plans to make the privacy controls and settings that Europe will get under GDPR available to the rest of the world. "We apply the same privacy protections everywhere, regardless of whether your agreement is with Facebook Inc or Facebook Ireland," the company said. Earlier this month, Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg told Reuters in an interview that his company would apply the EU law globally "in spirit," but stopped short of committing to it as the standard for the social network across the world. In practice, the change means the 1.5 billion affected users will not be able to file complaints with Ireland's Data Protection Commissioner or in Irish courts. Instead they will be governed by more lenient U.S. privacy laws, said Michael Veale, a technology policy researcher at University College London. Facebook will have more leeway in how it handles data about those users, Veale said. Certain types of data such as browsing history, for instance, are considered personal data under EU law but are not as protected in the United States, he said. The company said its rationale for the change was related to the European Union's mandated privacy notices, "because EU law requires specific language." For example, the company said, the new EU law requires specific legal terminology about the legal basis for processing data which does not exist in U.S. law. NO WARNING Ireland was unaware of the change. One Irish official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he did not know of any plans by Facebook to transfer responsibilities wholesale to the United States or to decrease Facebook's presence in Ireland, where the social network is seeking to recruit more than 100 new staff. Facebook released a revised terms of service in draft form two weeks ago, and they are scheduled to take effect next month. Other multinational companies are also planning changes. LinkedIn, a unit of Microsoft Corp, tells users in its existing terms of service that if they are outside the United States, they have a contract with LinkedIn Ireland. New terms that take effect May 8 move non-Europeans to contracts with U.S.-based LinkedIn Corp. LinkedIn said in a statement on Wednesday that all users are entitled to the same privacy protections. "We've simply streamlined the contract location to ensure all members understand the LinkedIn entity responsible for their personal data," the company said.

New privacy law coming, Facebook working to keep 1.5 billion users out of its reach