EU Regulators Could Slap Facebook With $1.6B Fine After Data Breach

European Union privacy regulators could hit Facebook with a hefty fine for the latest data breach — if it's found to be in violation of the EU data protection law. 

Ireland's Data Protection Commission asked Facebook for more information about that breach and how it might've affected EU users. Those details could lead to an official investigation and fines. 

The EU's data privacy law requires companies to protect citizens' personal information. Companies that don't comply can be fined up to 4 percent of their total global revenue. In Facebook's case, that could be about $1.6 billion. 

The breach in question was announced publicly on Friday. An unknown hacker compromised the accounts of almost 50 million people who used the "View As" profile feature. 

Facebook has said it's investigating the incident and cooperating with the Data Protection Commission's request. 

Additional reporting from Newsy affiliate CNN.