Facebook Inc. and its messaging service WhatsApp each were fined 300,000 euros ($369,471) by Spain’s data protection authority for violating privacy rules by processing user data without consent. The Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD) March 15 announced the decision on its website to fine each company the maximum possible for the violations. The decision comes amid a series of European probes into how the companies have handled user data since Facebook acquired WhatsApp in 2014.
The Spanish agency said WhatsApp failed to meet Spanish and European privacy standards when it transferred user data to Facebook without obtaining user consent. Facebook subsequently violated privacy law by using this ...