Facebook fined 10 million euros for selling users’ data

Italy’s AGCM consumer and market watchdog said that Facebook misleads people into joining the platform and isn’t clear about how user data can be used for other purposes.

A 3D printed Facebook logo is seen in front of displayed cyber code in this illustration. (REUTERS)

Italy's competition authority has fined Facebook 10 million euros ($11.3 million) for selling users' data without informing them and "aggressively" discouraging users from trying to limit how the company shares their data.

Facebook "misleadingly gets people to sign up... without informing them in an immediate and adequate way of how the data they will provide will be harvested for commercial purposes," a statement from Italy's AGCM consumer and market watchdog said on Friday.

The company also does not clearly tell people about "the remunerative purpose that underlies the provision of the social network's services, simply stressing the fact that it's free."

Facebook "aggressively" discourages users from trying to limit how the company shares their data by telling them that by doing so they risk "significant limitations".

Facebook has repeatedly said it does not sell users' data.

The company has faced a barrage of criticism recently for the misuse of users' data to influence elections amid increasing calls for the company run by Mark Zuckerberg to be regulated.