Amazon hit with $886 million EU data privacy fine

New Delhi: Amazon.com Inc has been hit with an $886.6 million (746 million euro) European Union fine for processing personal data in violation of the EU`s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the e-commerce giant said on Friday.

The Luxembourg National Commission for Data Protection (CNPD) imposed the fine on Amazon Europe Core in a July 16 decision, the company disclosed in a regulatory filing. 

"We believe the CNPD`s decision to be without merit and intend to defend ourselves vigorously in this matter," Amazon said in the filing.

GDPR requires companies to seek people`s consent before using their personal data or face steep fines.

The Wall Street Journal had reported in June that the company could be fined more than $425 million under the European Union`s privacy law, citing people familiar with the matter. 

Earlier this year, Amazon had won its fight against an EU order to pay about 250 million euros ($303 million) in back taxes to Luxembourg in a blow to competition chief Margrethe Vestager`s crusade against preferential deals. Also Read: LIC credit card launch: Earn 2X rewards on LIC premium payments, welcome bonus and more

"The Commission did not prove to the requisite legal standard that there was an undue reduction of the tax burden of a European subsidiary of the Amazon group," the Luxembourg-based EU judges had said at that time, according to a report by Reuters. Also Read: ATM charges, Salary, pension, EMI payment rules changing in the next two days