Amazon has been hit with a whopping $888 million fine from the EU over how it handled private data.
The EU has been stepping up its attempts to regulate tech companies and enforcement of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), its signature privacy regulation.
The EU is accusing Amazon of not processing of personal data in compliance with the law, according to The BBC, resulting in the $888 million fine. Amazon is disputing the charges, telling The BBC there was “no data breach.”
“We believe the CNPD’s decision to be without merit and intend to defend ourselves vigorously in this matter,” Amazon said.
“There has been no data breach, and no customer data has been exposed to any third party,” an Amazon spokeswoman said. “These facts are undisputed.”
“The decision relating to how we show customers relevant advertising relies on subjective and untested interpretations of European privacy law, and the proposed fine is entirely out of proportion with even that interpretation,” she added.
Amazon’s case could set a precedent for the EU’s application of the GDPR and have far-reaching consequences for the entire tech industry.