Ireland’s DPC launches probe into Facebook leak

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The Irish Data Safety Commission has launched an ‘contain volition’ inquiry into the leak of recordsdata from 500 million Facebook profiles

Alex Scroxton

Alex Scroxton,
Safety Editor

Revealed: 15 Apr 2021 10: 35

Ireland’s Data Safety Commission (DPC) has initiated an contain-volition inquiry under share 110 of the Irish Data Safety Act of 2018 following the leak of an unlimited tranche of non-public recordsdata on Facebook customers that had been scraped from the positioning.

The leaked recordsdata became as soon as scraped from Facebook some time within the past by malicious actors who took succor of a vulnerability in a contact-sharing characteristic. This exploit is no longer that you’ll be in a position to be ready to suppose of because it became as soon as locked down after being chanced on, however now now not sooner than anyone had made off with the tips.

Earlier this twelve months, the trove resurfaced after being offered for sale on a awful internet market. Particularly, it contains cellular cellular phone numbers that Facebook customers had linked to their accounts, rising the possibility of adjusting into victims of crime. About 1.5 million Irish other folks had their recordsdata compromised throughout the leak, and 11.5 million Britons.

Facebook is yet to apologise for the leak or acknowledge the troubles of its customers and has no plans to proactively contact them.

In a assertion, the DPC said: “The DPC engaged with Facebook Ireland when it comes to this reported accomplishing, raising queries when it comes to GDPR [General Data Protection Regulation] compliance, to which Facebook Ireland furnished a assortment of responses.

“The DPC, having regarded as the tips offered by Facebook Ireland concerning this topic up to now, is of the opinion that one or more provisions of the GDPR and/or the Data Safety Act 2018 may perhaps well well also unbiased fetch been, and/or are being, infringed when it comes to Facebook customers’ deepest recordsdata.

“Accordingly, the Commission considers it appropriate to uncover whether Facebook Ireland has complied with its responsibilities, as recordsdata controller, in connection with the processing of non-public recordsdata of its customers by technique of the Facebook Search, Facebook Messenger Contact Importer and Instagram Contact Importer facets of its carrier, or whether any provision(s) of the GDPR and/or the Data Safety Act 2018 fetch been, and/or are being, infringed by Facebook on this respect.”

The DPC had previously held support on launching a proper investigation, asserting that because considerable of the leaked recordsdata regarded as if it could most likely well well fetch been scraped sooner than the GDPR came into power, a winning enforcement circulation may perhaps well well also unbiased now now not be that you’ll be in a position to be ready to suppose of.

The originate of an investigation by the Irish authorities is predominant because Ireland stays house to Facebook’s European headquarters. This means the DPC would act as the lead regulator right throughout the European Union on all matters linked to it.

In a assertion circulated to media shops, Facebook said: “We are cooperating fully with the DPC in its enquiry, which pertains to facets that manufacture it more uncomplicated for folk to fetch and join with mates on our products and companies. These facets are standard to many apps and we live up for explaining them and the protections we now fetch build in station.”

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