Your are right, in the context lawyers/regulators/etc. are operating within. OTOH, in a wider context, you have to concede OP's "lol" perspective is true too.

Your are right, in the context lawyers/regulators/etc. are operating within. OTOH, in a wider context, you have to concede OP's "lol" perspective is true too. The money itself has little/no possible deterrent effect. "Just for their Dutch operations" is a lawyerly frame... it isn't a business frame. booking.com's Dutch business operations aren't really separate. Any security/transparency practices beyond "compliance" almost certainly exist across borders. I agree though that a fine (any amount) can be enough to adjust resources/practices on a small scale. On a bigger scale, the threat of a fine (any amount) probably is not enough to deter much. IE, if changes are strategic, costly or impact revenue... a fine will always be cheaper.