Original title: Amazon.Com Inc was severely punished for violating EU data protection regulationsFile a formal appeal
China news agency, Brussels, October 15 (Reporter de Yongjian)-after being heavily fined 746 million euros for violating EU data protection regulations in July this year, US e-commerce giant Amazon.Com Inc formally filed an appeal to the Luxembourg Administrative Court on the 15th.
A spokesman for the Luxembourg judiciary confirmed the news to the media on the same day. Since Amazon.Com Inc has its European headquarters in Luxembourg, the Luxembourg authorities are currently responsible for supervising Amazon.Com Inc's data protection in the EU market.
In mid-July this year, the National data Protection Commission of Luxembourg ruled that Amazon.Com Inc failed to protect user data and violated the EU General data Protection regulations (GDPR). As a result, Amazon.Com Inc was fined 746 million euros, the heaviest fine ever imposed by the European Union on a company that violates the General data Protection regulations.
At that time, Amazon.Com Inc said that the conclusion of the Luxembourg National data Protection Committee was "groundless" and Amazon.Com Inc would do his best to defend himself. After the news of the appeal on the 15th, Amazon.Com Inc declined to comment on the case in the face of media inquiries. He only reiterated that "Amazon.Com Inc did not disclose any EU user data to a third party."
According to the litigation procedure, after Amazon.Com Inc filed an appeal, the Luxembourg Administrative Court will make a clear decision; if the two parties do not accept the decision of the Luxembourg Administrative Court, both parties may appeal to the Luxembourg Administrative Court.
In May 2018, the EU General data Protection regulations, regarded as "the strictest in the world", came into force. According to the regulations, if the protection of user data is unfavorable, those who are light can be fined 10 million euros or 2% of the global operating income of the previous year, and those who are serious can be fined 20 million euros or 4% of the global operating income of the previous year (both fines are "the largest of the two"). It is clearly aimed at the Internet giants.
So far, in addition to being fined for violating EU data protection regulations, Amazon.Com Inc is still under EU antitrust investigation; in November last year, the EU issued a preliminary conclusion that Amazon.Com Inc used seller data to avoid the risk of normal market competition. It has consolidated its position as the "largest online sales platform" in countries such as France and Germany, but this violates the EU anti-monopoly law and distorts competition in the EU online retail market. If Amazon.Com Inc cannot reverse this conclusion in the end, he will be punished by the European Union again. (end)