- Facebook, TikTok and Co. are in breach of EU law
Six major tech giants, according to a study by the Federation of German Consumer Organizations (vzbv), are violating EU law. Meta, the company behind Facebook, Google's parent Alphabet, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, and TikTok's operator ByteDance are manipulating users with deceptive designs, reported the Süddeutsche Zeitung (Monday edition) from the investigation.
The companies' goal is to obtain users' consent for the most comprehensive collection of personal data possible. Vzbv board member Ramona Pop announced that the results would be forwarded to the EU and called for strict enforcement of the Digital Markets Act. Since March 7, 2024, this practice has been prohibited under European law. "We are not afraid to issue warnings to the companies," said Pop.
US Companies Cheat on Data Protection
Because the tech giants are "tricking" users, said Pop to the newspaper. "For example, TikTok suggests to users that if you don't agree to this service, we can no longer offer you a free service." Amazon is trying to obtain consent for data collection directly through cookie settings.
"And the Facebook Marketplace cannot be used fully without first providing your data to Facebook." The tech giants, referred to as "gatekeepers," have significant influence over what people in Germany consume digitally.
Other companies, like Amazon, also use deceptive tactics to obtain user consent for data collection. This practice of manipulating users to consent to extensive data collection is not exclusive to the six tech giants mentioned earlier.
