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August / 22 / 2025
|
15 m. to read
Since the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force, European regulators have steadily ramped up their enforcement. By early 2025, total GDPR fines have surpassed €5.8 billion and it’s not just Big Tech under fire anymore. From finance and healthcare to logistics and education, no sector is immune. These fines don’t just punish, they teach.
So let’s take a look at the 10 biggest GDPR fines to date, what went wrong, and what your business can learn to avoid similar mistakes.
What happened?
Meta (formerly Facebook) received the largest GDPR fine in history for transferring European user data to the U.S. without proper safeguards. The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) said Meta failed to comply with EU privacy standards after the invalidation of the Privacy Shield agreement.
What a lesson can be learned from this?
If you move personal data outside the EU, you must use approved transfer mechanisms like Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs). Don’t assume previous frameworks still apply, always keep your cross-border data flows under review.
What happened?
Luxembourg’s data authority fined Amazon for violations related to targeted advertising. The company allegedly processed customer data without valid consent.
What a lesson can be learned from this?
Consent isn’t just a checkbox. You must provide clear, specific information about how data will be used especially when it comes to personalized purposes.
What happened?
Meta was fined again. This time for how Instagram handled teenagers’ accounts. The platform made children’s contact info public by default and failed to communicate data policies clearly to minors.
What a lesson can be learned from this?
Protecting children’s data requires special attention. Always apply stricter safeguards, transparency, and age-appropriate language when dealing with minors.
What happened?
The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) fined TikTok over how it handled child accounts and privacy settings. The platform defaulted to public profiles and failed to implement strong age verification.
What a lesson can be learned from this?
Privacy must be the default, especially for children. Platforms must be proactive in protecting young users and ensuring they understand their rights.
What happened?
Uber was fined for transferring taxi driver data to the U.S. without sufficient protections. After the invalidation of the Privacy Shield, companies were expected to strengthen safeguards, Uber didn’t.
What a lesson can be learned from this?
When data transfer laws change, your practices must change too. If you store or process EU personal data abroad, you’re still responsible for its protection.
What happened?
WhatsApp failed to clearly explain how it shared data with other Meta companies. The lack of transparency around data-sharing led to one of the largest GDPR fines at the time.
What a lesson can be learned from this?
Your privacy notices must be crystal clear. Users should easily understand who gets their data, why, and what rights they have. Don’t bury this info in long legal documents.
What happened?
France’s data protection authority (CNIL) fined Google for making it too hard for YouTube users to refuse cookies. Accepting cookies was just one click, but refusing them took multiple steps discouraging users from opting out.
What a lesson can be learned from this?
Cookie consent must be just as easy to refuse as it is to accept. Any imbalance is seen as manipulative especially if your business relies heavily on ad revenue.
What happened?
This earlier fine from CNIL hit Google over its ad personalization practices. The company didn’t clearly explain how it used data for targeted ads and didn’t give users enough control or transparency.
What a lesson can be learned from this?
Even if users technically “agree,” consent isn’t valid unless it’s informed, specific, and clearly communicated. Transparency is key especially with ad tech.
What happened?
Retail giant H&M was fined by German authorities after it was discovered the company secretly collected detailed personal data about employees including health issues and family matters and used it in HR decisions.
What a lesson can be learned from this?
Employee data deserves just as much protection as customer data. Gathering sensitive info without consent especially for internal profiling is a serious violation.
What happened?
The Dutch DPA fined U.S.-based Clearview AI for scraping billions of facial images from the web without user consent to create a biometric database. The data was later used for law enforcement and intelligence purposes.
What a lesson can be learned from this?
Facial recognition tech and biometric data come with huge privacy risks. Collecting this kind of data without consent even from public sources violates GDPR.
The biggest GDPR fines serve as powerful reminders that data privacy is no longer a back-office issue. It’s front and center and non-compliance is expensive.
2025 will likely bring even more scrutiny, especially as new technologies like AI and real-time data processing become mainstream. Companies that don’t prioritize privacy will be left behind not just by regulators, but by users too. Lesson of the day? Don’t wait for a fine to fix the GDPR strategy. Start acting now
At Manimama Law Firm, we help businesses navigate complex GDPR requirements, minimize risk, and build trust through smart, proactive compliance strategies. Whether you’re preparing for an audit or just starting your data privacy journey, our team is here to support you every step of the way.
If you want to become our client or partner, feel free to contact us at support@manimama.eu.
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Manimama Law Firm provides a gateway for the companies operating as the virtual asset wallet and exchange providers allowing to enter to the markets legally. We are ready to offer an appropriate support in obtaining a license with lower founding and operating costs. We offer KYC/AML launch, support in risk assessment, legal services, legal opinions, advice on general data protection provisions, contracts and all necessary legal and business tools to start business of virtual asset service provider.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter, not to be considered as a legal consultation.
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