Facebook could face a significant fine after its European data watchdog launched the investigation to show how Instagram exposed the contact details and private information of millions of children.
The Telegraph has revealed that the Irish Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) has launched two separate investigations, showing that Instagram made public the email addresses and phone numbers of users under the age of 18.
If Instagram is found to have broken privacy laws, the Irish regulator, as Facebook's main data protection authority in the European Union and the UK, has the power to fine it billions of dollars.
The DPC opened the duplicate investigation last month in response to allegations that the Facebook-owned app had put children at risk of grooming or piracy by revealing their contact details.
All Instagram users are able to change their personal Instagram accounts to those created for businesses, which unlike personal profiles, give them statistics such as how popular their photos and videos are.
However, switching to a business account also means that the user's personal contact details are publicly displayed on their profile, allowing anyone to contact users outside the app. The problem lies when these users are children.
Any profile can be turned into a business account, without any kind of verification or control, if a business is really running.
Instagram has a minimum age of 13, but it is already known that it does not strictly verify the ages, causing the application to contain even more children younger than 13 years old.
David Stier, an American data scientist who first discovered the gap, estimates that about 5 million children have their personal data exposed in this way.
Rregullatori Irlandez nisi hetimet e tij në fund të Shtatorit pas një ankese nga Z. Stier.
Sipas ligjeve evropiane të mbrojtjes së të dhënave, çdo hetim mund të rezultojë në një gjobë deri në 4 ‘copë’ të të ardhurave vjetore të Facebook.
Graham Doyle, një nënkomisar në DPC, tha:
"DPC ka monitoruar në mënyrë aktive ankesat e marra nga individë në këtë zonë dhe ka identifikuar shqetësime të mundshme në lidhje me përpunimin e të dhënave personale të fëmijëve në Instagram të cilat kërkojnë shqyrtim të mëtejshëm."
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Source: Telegraph
