Samsung, SK Hynix Shares Surge on Report of Potential Temasek Investment 
Asian Stocks Rise as AI Chip Rally Lifts South Korea, Japan 
Asian Currencies Steady Ahead of US CPI as Oil Prices Rise 
ADNOC Gas Targets Up to $4B Profit in 2026 
Paramount Weighs CNN Sale as $110B Warner Bros. Discovery Deal Faces Antitrust Fight 
Goldman Sachs Sees US Stock Buybacks Outpacing Equity Issuance as AI Funding Rises 
Natura Q2 Profit Plunges 92% as Financial Expenses Weigh on Earnings 
Australia Sets New Minimum Pay, Insurance Rules for Gig Workers 
Treasury Wine Estates Shares Jump as U.S. Overhaul Lifts FY2026 Outlook 
CBA Posts Record A$10.98B Profit Despite Cautious Outlook 
Super Micro Stock Jumps 19% as AI Server Demand Drives Strong 2027 Outlook 
Singapore Raises 2026 GDP Growth Forecast as AI Demand Fuels Economy 
Asian Currencies Steady as Markets Await U.S. Inflation Data 
Shein Scales Back Vietnam Operations as US Trade Rules Shift 
Sanrio Shares Plunge as Q1 Profit Miss Overshadows Strong Sales 
Trump Media Says Truth API Draws 10+ Customers as Conflict Concerns Grow 
ANZ Home Loan Applications Drop 12% After Australia Property Tax Changes 
WhatsApp is facing a hefty fine after the Irish Data Protection Commission determined it violated the European Union’s (EU) data privacy laws. The DPC said on Thursday, Sept. 2, that the Facebook-owned instant messaging mobile application failed to inform users in the EU about what it does with their personal data, thus it was fined €225 million or $267 million.
According to CNBC, the data privacy watchdog in Ireland said WhatsApp did not inform the Europeans how it will be using their personal data that have been collected from using the app. It was added that people were not told about how WhatsApp is sharing data it collected with Facebook and other companies it owns.
Now, because of this, the Irish officials ordered the company to modify its privacy policies in order to comply with EU’s privacy regulations. WhatsApp was also told to indicate how it communicates with users and make it clear so every user will understand how their data is being used.
WhatsApp already received the notification about the $267 million fine that it needs to pay to the EU for the privacy data breach, and its spokesman said that they are planning to appeal the decision.
“WhatsApp is committed to providing a secure and private service,” the spokesperson said. “We have worked to ensure the information we provide is transparent and comprehensive and will continue to do so and we disagree with the decision today regarding the transparency we provided to people in 2018 and the penalties are entirely disproportionate.”
So far, this is said to be the biggest fine imposed by Ireland’s data privacy watchdog for breach of Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation or the GDPR. At any rate, Reuters reported that Ireland's DPC is handling the data privacy case against Facebook as its regional headquarters is located in Dublin.
Meanwhile, in addition to the fine, the Irish regulator also imposed a reprimand and ordered WhatsApp to take action and work for compliance to EU’s rules. As of late last year, Ireland’s DPC is said to have had 14 major inquiries into Facebook and its other leading subsidiaries Instagram and WhatsApp.
