Amazon on Friday won its appeal against a record 746-million-euro ($854.4 million) fine imposed by Luxembourg's privacy regulator, after a court found the watchdog had not properly carried out its analysis and must reassess the case.
The Luxembourg âNational Commission â for Data â Protection (CNPD) penalised Amazon in 2021 over its online behavioural advertising practices, saying its processing of users' personal data breached EU privacy rules known as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The same court had last year sided with the privacy watchdog by âupholding the fine, prompting Amazon to â appeal its âruling.
Judges said they accepted the U.S. âtech giant's âargument that the watchdog had failed to â analyse whether the company had intentionally violated the âGDPR or was merely negligent.
They said CNPD âalso did not examine other sanction options and had almost automatically handed out the fine.
"The relevant analysis by the supervisory authority will have to be carried out for the first time upon referral," the court âsaid, annulling the regulator's 2021 decision.
Amazon welcomed the court judgment.
"We strongly disagreed with the initial âruling and âdisproportionate fine that â had originally been issued in this case, which is why we appealed," a spokesperson for the company said in an âemail.
The CNPD said it took note of the ruling.
It said its action "has led to Amazon's practices being brought into full compliance with the relevant provisions of the case regarding online behavioural advertising".
The Luxembourg âNational Commission â for Data â Protection (CNPD) penalised Amazon in 2021 over its online behavioural advertising practices, saying its processing of users' personal data breached EU privacy rules known as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The same court had last year sided with the privacy watchdog by âupholding the fine, prompting Amazon to â appeal its âruling.
Judges said they accepted the U.S. âtech giant's âargument that the watchdog had failed to â analyse whether the company had intentionally violated the âGDPR or was merely negligent.
They said CNPD âalso did not examine other sanction options and had almost automatically handed out the fine.
"The relevant analysis by the supervisory authority will have to be carried out for the first time upon referral," the court âsaid, annulling the regulator's 2021 decision.
Amazon welcomed the court judgment.
"We strongly disagreed with the initial âruling and âdisproportionate fine that â had originally been issued in this case, which is why we appealed," a spokesperson for the company said in an âemail.
The CNPD said it took note of the ruling.
It said its action "has led to Amazon's practices being brought into full compliance with the relevant provisions of the case regarding online behavioural advertising".
Meridiano
