Meta has been fined 1.2 billion euros by European Union regulators for violating EU privacy laws by transferring personal data of Facebook users to servers in the United States.

The European Data Protection Board announced the fine in a statement on Monday, saying it followed an investigation by the Irish Data Protection Commission, the main regulator overseeing Meta's operations in Europe.

This new measure highlights the ongoing uncertainty over how global businesses can legally transfer user data to servers overseas.

The EU regulator said the processing and storage of personal data in the United States contravened European data privacy law, known as the General Data Protection Regulation.

Meta has been ordered to stop processing the personal data of European users in the United States within six months.

Meta, which also owns WhatsApp and Instagram, said it will appeal the decision, including the fine. There will be no immediate shutdown of Facebook in Europe, the company added.

"The unprecedented fine is a strong signal to companies that serious breaches have far-reaching consequences," said Andrea Jelinek, president of the European Data Protection Board.