Billions in Fines, Barely a Bruise: What Big Tech Penalties Really Mean for Your Privacy

This article reviews the scale and ineffectiveness of large regulatory fines against major tech companies, documents concrete privacy harms (unauthorized data transfers, facial-recognition misuse, tracking despite opt-outs, dark-pattern subscriptions), and explains why fines have not changed corporate behavior; it concludes with practical, non-technical steps individuals can take to reduce exposure while regulators pursue structural remedies.