WhatsApp wins court backing to challenge Irish fine

WhatsApp wins EU top court backing to challenge its €225m privacy fine, setting a significant precedent for tech companies battling regulatory penalties.

The DPC has only collected €17.5m of the more than €4bn it has fined large tech companies due to lengthy legal challenges.

Meta Platforms' WhatsApp on Tuesday won backing from Europe's top court for its challenge to a fine that was increased to €225m by the EU privacy watchdog, a ruling that could pave the way for similar action by other companies.

Ireland's DPC is the lead privacy regulator for most of the US tech giants due to their EU head offices being located in Ireland. It fined WhatsApp following complaints about its use of personal data in the country, later increasing the penalty it imposed after the European Data Protection Board intervened in 2021.