France’s data regulator fined Free SAS and Free Mobile a total of $48 million for failing to secure personal data after a hacker accessed sensitive information of 24 million subscribers. The companies violated GDPR rules by not properly notifying customers about the breach and had inadequate security measures in place. They plan to appeal the decision, claiming the penalties are excessive.

Vodafone GmbH has been fined €45 million ($51.4 million) by Germany's data protection authority for privacy and security violations, including fraud committed by employees of partner agencies and vulnerabilities in its authentication systems. The company has since revamped its processes, severed ties with fraudulent partners, and cooperated fully with the investigation. Vodafone has also donated to organizations focused on data protection and media literacy.