Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, has been hit with a hefty €91 million fine (around $102 million) by the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC). This penalty stems from an investigation launched in April 2019, which uncovered that Meta had accidentally stored user passwords in plain text without any encryption or adequate protective measures. This oversight raised significant concerns about the security of user data within the company’s internal systems.

This latest fine adds to a growing list of penalties faced by Meta, following a staggering €1.2 billion fine (approximately $1.3 billion) imposed by the European Commission last year for the unauthorized transfer of user data to the United States. The DPC’s recent ruling not only underscores the seriousness of data protection violations but also highlights the European Union’s commitment to enforcing strict regulations aimed at safeguarding user privacy. As regulators continue to hold tech giants accountable for data mishandling, it signals an ongoing effort to ensure that companies prioritize the security of their users’ information.