We break down the recent record fine against Meta by the Irish data protection regulator, which focuses on Meta's practice of transferring data about its EU customers to the US, where it is exposed to US spy agencies.

The fine, and the legal proceedings that led to it, originate with a complaint by an Austrian man called Max Schrems. For over a decade, Schrems and his not-for-profit NOYB have pursued several privacy complaints via the courts - leading to the striking down of major international data transfer agreements.

Who is this man that has had an outsized impact on international data protection arrangements? We take a look at his story.

Links:

Meta hit with record $1.9 billion fine over transfer of users' data to United States (ABC) https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-23/meta-record-fine-facebook-data-eu-us-transfer-data/102379666

IAPP analysis of fine (IAPP) https://iapp.org/news/a/ireland-dpcs-data-transfers-decision-pragmatic-punch-or-knockout-blow/

Max Schrems response to fine (NOYB) https://noyb.eu/en/edpb-decision-facebooks-eu-us-data-transfers-stop-transfers-fine-and-repatriation

Interview with Max Schrems https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9HhCTnRoow

Article about Max Schrems (Irish Times) https://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/max-schrems-the-man-who-took-on-facebook-and-won-1.3451485

Credits:

Music by Bensound.com