Türkiye fines Twitch 2 mln liras over data leak

ANKARA

Turkish authorities have imposed a fine of 2 million Turkish Liras ($58,000) on Amazon’s Twitch, citing a data breach at the social media platform.

Türkiye’s Personal Data Protection Authority (KVKK) launched an investigation following the disclosure of 125 GB of sensitive data online during a massive breach in 2021.

The inquiry concluded that the data controller failed to exercise due diligence in implementing the necessary configurations to rectify vulnerabilities within the system.

KVKK determined that security measures, which should have been proactively established prior to the breach, were only introduced subsequently. Furthermore, the investigation highlighted inadequacies in identifying and mitigating risks and threats.

The breach was found to have impacted 35,274 individuals residing in Türkiye.

In a previous statement, Twitch attributed the breach to a "server configuration change."

The authority imposed a 1.75 million lira fine for inadequate security and 250,000 liras for failing to report the breach.

Twitch is a platform facilitating live streams of gaming, sports, music and various other content, enabling viewers to interact with creators in real-time.

The platform was acquired by Amazon in 2014 for $970 million.

In February, Twitch was temporarily blocked in Türkiye by the decision of the National Lottery Administration. While the rationale for the decision was not disclosed, the administration frequently reports websites involved in illegal gambling and betting to the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK), ensuring such platforms are restricted.

However, the access restriction on Twitch was lifted by BTK roughly a week later.

In recent years, Türkiye has intensified its crackdown on illegal gambling and betting activities. Just last week, a major operation resulted in the detention of numerous individuals in connection with such offenses.