Why Privacy Matters

In January 2023, Meta was fined 390 million euros for GDPR violations related to how it processed user data for personalized advertising. This was not a one-off. Since GDPR took effect in May 2018, regulators across Europe have issued billions of euros in fines. But fines are only part of the cost. When a company suffers a data breach, the real damage often comes from lost customers, negative press coverage, and the years it takes to rebuild trust.