Amazon punished for the GDPR. This is one of the highest penalties in history

According to the portal “DaHandlu.pl”, the Court of Appeal in Luxembourg upheld the decision of 2021, imposing a fine of EUR 746 million for irregularities in the processing of personal data.

“This is one of the highest penalties imposed on a technology company in the history of the GDPR,” notes the website.

What was Amazon accused of?

Amazon was accused of violating several key provisions of the GDPR, including a lack of transparency in data processing, failure to comply with information obligation and violating users’ right to object to the use of their personal data for marketing purposes.

The case went to the vocation after a complaint made by La Quadrature du Net – a French organization working for privacy protection.

“The organization represented over 10,000 citizens who accused Amazon of the lack of transparency in data processing and using them for the purposes of behavioral analysis and targeting of ads without the explicit consent of the user,” writes the website.

How was Amazon punished?

The decision to impose a penalty was issued in July 2021, and Amazon appealed in October of the same year. The appeal proceedings started formally at the beginning of 2024.

The Luxembourg Administrative Court found that the company did not provide users with full control over their data, which is a significant failure to comply with European regulations, and upheld the decision to impose a penalty.

Will Amazon pay a gigantic penalty?

Amazon does not agree with the sentence. This is a continuation of the previously held position. According to the website, citing the words of the spokesman of Amazon, the company “does not agree with the court’s decision” and considers further legal steps. “The company has been under the magnifying glass of European regulatory bodies for years – both in the area of ​​personal data and fair competition,” reminds the website.