A Luxembourg court has upheld an $812.4 million fine imposed on Amazon four years previously over data protection breaches.
According to a statement by the Luxembourg National Commission for Data Protection (CNPD) published Wednesday, the court backed the watchdog’s decision, dismissing the e-commerce giant’s appeal. The ruling was made on March 18.
Amazon had been fined in 2021 for violating the European Union’s (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) by processing personal data of consumers. The GDPR is a major regulatory framework focused on privacy in the EU under which leading companies such as Meta and Google have been penalised for a range of violations.
In response to the CNDP’s penalty, Amazon has said the watchdog “imposed an unprecedented fine based on subjective interpretations of the law about which they had not previously published any interpretive guidance”. The company is considering appealing against the decision.
The CNDP, on the other hand, has stated that all proceedings concerning the penalty will remain suspended during the appeal. The fine and corrective measures ordered by the watchdog, however, will remain in place, the statement adds.
In case of further legal setback, Amazon will have to pay the fine and adopt corrective measures.
