Written by Helena Smolak
Metaplatform is facing complaints from consumer groups in eight European countries over its collection and processing of Facebook and Instagram user data.
The European Consumer Agency said on Thursday that eight consumer groups had filed complaints with data protection authorities in France, Spain, Denmark and five other countries.
The complaint, filed by members of the European Consumer Organization Network, alleges that Meta’s collection of users’ personal data does not comply with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, a strict data privacy and security law that came into force in 2018. claims.
“Meta strongly disputes these allegations. We take our regulatory obligations extremely seriously and are very confident that our approach is GDPR compliant,” Meta said in a statement. a spokesperson said.
The complaint challenges Meta’s decision to offer European users of Facebook and Instagram the choice of paying for an ad-free version of the platform or consenting to the use of their data for targeted advertising. is chanting. The company announced in October that it would begin rolling out this model in Europe.
The launch of the paid subscription model comes as Meta seeks to circumvent EU rules that limit its ability to show users personalized ads without first asking for their consent, jeopardizing the company’s main source of revenue. An attempt was made to do so.
In November, European Consumer Organizations filed another complaint against Meta’s business practices surrounding payment or consent-based approaches. Privacy groups, including data protection authorities, have also raised concerns in recent months.
“The ‘ad-free subscription’ aligns with the latest regulatory developments, guidance and rulings shared by major European regulators and courts in recent years,” a Meta spokesperson said.
Facebook had 308 million daily active users in Europe and 2.11 billion worldwide in the fourth quarter, according to company data.
Email Helena Smolak at helena.smolak@wsj.com.
(Ended) Dow Jones News
February 29, 2024 09:04 ET (14:04 GMT)
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