Data privacy violations have been rising in recent years as European watchdogs step up enforcement of the GDPR. Tech giants like Facebook, Google, and Amazon have been hit with significant, and in many cases, repeated fines for breaking data privacy regulations.

While the maximum GDPR fine available is 4% of an organization's annual revenue from the previous year, the first few years of the legislation saw lesser fines. Since the start of 2022 however, the total figures have crept up, with Meta fined a record $1.3 billion this Spring, Microsoft preparing itself for a fine of over $400 million, and Tesla on track for a fine worth billions over failure to protect user data.

While those penalties seem hefty, the financial impact is only a part of the equation. Arguably, the more damaging consequences lie beneath the surface as these companies grapple with the public damage to their reputation and brand.

Public trust is invaluable to business, and its erosion can have devastating effects on a brand's sustainability. The essence of a company's relationship with its users is largely built on trust--that you are getting what you pay for and not getting ripped off. Social media and search engines have thrown a wrench into that equation, as they are free to use. That harkens to the adage many have heard over the years: "if you're not paying for the product, you are the product."

The public has largely failed to realize what exactly this means, and because of that, organizations have been free for years to recklessly use and profit off people's data. Now in 2023--hopefully--the majority of the public is aware of these business practices and understand that earning consumer trust means companies must handle data appropriately and transparently.

Big Tech has either not gotten that message or failed to heed it, as many companies still practice data collection processes that fly in the face of GDPR and other data protection regulations.

Consumers need to make these organizations regret data protection violations not because of fines that might amount to 4% of annual revenue, but by shifting consumer trends and behaviors that actually punish organizations for abusing or ignoring people's data rights.

The erosion of public trust also impacts the bottom line indirectly, as users choose to take their business to more privacy-conscious platforms or reduce their engagement with brands that have bad track records. That shift would only snowball as advertisers, driven by public sentiment, pull back their investments or potential partners hesitate to attach their brand to a company that's perceived as having weak data protection practices.

In the world of technology, where user loyalty can be fickle, tech giants also face stiff competition from upstarts that offer alternative services with robust privacy guarantees. Even companies worth billions are not invincible, and for companies that have shown they do not care about users' privacy, newer and more conscious organizations can quickly race ahead in the market. Facebook has seen this very thing occur, as multiple data breaches and news stories about selling data to third parties have caused outrage and severely affected the platform's trustworthiness and reputation.

This is to say nothing about the regulatory snowball Meta has seen and many big tech companies face as they compile major violations, as these violations often lead to increased regulatory scrutiny. This oversight can stifle innovation, impact growth prospects, and in some cases, tank a product in an entire global market.

So yes, the financial penalties for data privacy violations are significant, but the real costs for tech giants are far more extensive. The loss of public trust, tarnished brand image, reduction in user engagement, decreased advertising revenue, reluctant partners, and increased regulatory scrutiny all contribute to a far more complex and lasting set of challenges.

The solution for these organizations? To prioritize data privacy and security to avoid all these repercussions and set themselves up in a world of increasing regulations and public consciousness about data usage. The tech industry needs to always remember that the cost of violating data privacy goes beyond dollars, but risks their very relevance.