Australia fines Meta $14 mln for misleading users

The Australian Federal Court has ordered Meta Platforms to pay fines amounting £20 million ($14 million) for collecting user da-ta through a smartphone application advertised as a way to protect privacy without disclosing its actions.

The Federal Court of Australia also ordered Meta to pay £400 thousand in legal costs to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, which brought the civil action.

This penalty marks the conclusion of one aspect of Meta’s legal entanglements in Australia, stemming from concerns over its mishandling of user data and its association with the infamous Cambridge Analytica scandal.