Big Tech slapped with $3.5bn in fines for using your personal data to train AI — and 'it could be only the beginning,' warns Surfshark | Tech Radar

Overview

News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets

Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more

Details

Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards.

Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.

Big Tech slapped with $3.5bn in fines for using your personal data to train AI — and 'it could be only the beginning,' warns Surfshark

Surfshark found that 9 out of 10 AI-related fines concern the unlawful use of personal data

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Big Tech was hit with $3.5B fines over three years, Surfshark found

Major tech companies have already been hit by fines totalling $3.5 billion for using vast amounts of users’ personal data to train their AI models, raising hopes that the days of AI operating in a regulatory vacuum might be coming to an end.

The figures come from Surfshark, one of the best VPNs on the market, which recently analysed 10 AI-related sanctions imposed on the usual suspects — Anthropic, Meta, Google, Clearview, Apple, Amazon, and Open AI — between 2022 and 2026.

Disturbingly, nine out of ten fines were imposed for using users’ personal data — including biometric data, copyright-protected content, facial images, and children's voice recordings — without user consent or legal authorisation.

AI violations: which company misused our data the most?

According to Surfshark’s study, Clearview AI was the first, in 2022, to be fined a total of around $46 million for collecting facial images for its facial recognition database.

But the pace picked up in 2024, with five new separate fines imposed on Google, Open AI, Meta, Clearview, and Amazon.

More and more employees are using their personal AI accounts at work

Most businesses say they've been caught out by unexpected high AI bills

Two-thirds of office workers admit to secretly using banned AI tools

The size of the fines has also increased substantially, signalling a positive shift from regulatory warnings to severe financial consequences. In 2024, Meta was fined

"This could be only the beginning," says Dr. Luis Costa, research lead at Surfshark. "The overarching trend suggests that accountability is catching up with innovation, and the industry must re-evaluate both how it builds AI and how it markets it."

The industry must re-evaluate both how it builds AI and how it markets it Dr. Luis Costa, Surfshark

The industry must re-evaluate both how it builds AI and how it markets it

While regulations and authorities seem to be starting to catch up and match their punishments with Big Tech's wrongdoings, the findings continue to raise serious questions about the risks users face when using these AI platforms.

"Firstly, the scale of unauthorised data collection is unprecedented: 90 per cent of AI-related fines imposed since 2022 relate to the use of data without the necessary consent," Costa explains.

AI can tell a lot about you just based on the overall patterns of ads you see

Shadow AI and agents like Open Claw are hijacking corporate data too easily

AI-generated threats are hitting businesses harder than ever - do you know what to look out for?

"Second, this harvesting often targets highly sensitive, unchangeable data, as seen in Meta’s $1.4 billion biometric settlement and Amazon’s fine over children’s voice recordings," he adds.

It also remains alarming that many companies fail to adequately inform the public about how their sensitive data is used, leaving consumers oblivious to the fact that their personal information is permanently baked into commercial AI models.

Additionally, while these fines may seem exorbitant, it is worrying that the financial impact of such punishments rarely acts as a deterrent to these large technology companies, whose market capitalisation runs into the hundreds of billions of dollars.

In its research, Proton previously found that the $7.8 billion in privacy and competition fines imposed on Big Tech in 2025 could be collectively paid by these firms in less than a month.

However, Costa argues that the issue is more complex and regulators might be working toward targeted changes. "First, regulators are escalating the financial stakes, shifting toward massive penalties like Anthropic's

Additionally, a major challenge right now is actually enforceability — particularly as some companies have already been exploiting loopholes to avoid paying fines. Clearview AI, for example, managed to avoid paying $105 million in fines imposed by four different European regulatory authorities by arguing that it did not fall within European jurisdiction.

"Even if these early fines are manageable for tech giants, their real value lies in establishing the firm legal precedents that will govern how AI must operate in the future," Costa concludes.

Silvia Iacovcich is a tech journalist with over five years of experience in the field, including AI, cybersecurity, and fintech. She has written for various publications focusing on the evolving regulatory landscape of AI, digital behavior, web 3, and blockchain, as well as social media privacy and security regulations.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

1 The PS5 homepage, PS Store, and PS App have all been updated with a new GTA 6 UI as pre-orders begin

2 This is how I'd decide between a gaming headset and headphones for an awesome gaming audio upgrade

3 How to pick HVAC field service management software in 2026

4'A scramble for visibility and control, as spend surges': Less than a third of organizations know what their AI software spend is

5I use the Sony WH-1000XM6 every day and now they're at a record-low price

Tech Radar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Key Takeaways

• News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets
• Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more
• Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards
• Unlock instant access to exclusive member features
• Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards