Europe's data protection regulators have received more than 95,000 complaints about possible data breaches, eight months after the adoption of a landmark EU privacy law, the European Commission said today.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) gives new powers to privacy enforcers, allowing them to levy fines of up to 4% of global revenue or €20m, whichever is higher.
Last week, the French data protection watchdog imposed a €50m fine on Alphabet-owned Google for failing to properly obtain users' consent for personalised ads, the largest sanction under GDPR rules to date.
More penalties could come as Europeans become more aware of their rights, EU digital chief Andrus Ansip, European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans, EU justice chief Vera Jourova and EU digital economy commissioner Mariya Gabriel said.
"What is at stake is not only the protection of our privacy, but also the protection of our democracies and ensuring the sustainability of our data-driven economies," they said in a joint statement.
The majority of the complaints focused on telemarketing, promotional emails and video surveillance by closed-circuit televisions.
Privacy regulators have opened 225 investigations to date.
