Meta sued for 550 million euros in damages

Data protection - Meta sued for 550 million euros in damages

The Spanish media association AMI has sued the US social media group Meta for over 550 million euros in damages due to unfair competition. The parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp has been guilty of "continued systematic and massive non-compliance with European data protection regulations" since May 2018 and at least until July 2023, according to the statement published by AMI, which unites 83 of Spain's most important media outlets.

According to various resolutions from the European authorities, Mark Zuckerberg 's technology group "repeatedly violated EU data protection regulations and ignored the legal requirement that citizens must consent to the use of their data for the creation of advertising profiles". As a result, the media involved in the lawsuit suffered advertising losses in the amount of the compensation claimed.

AMI President José Joly said that behavior like Meta's "endangers the survival of media that are fundamental to the democratic quality of a country". It is therefore calling on Spanish public and private companies to award their advertising campaigns to "safe, reliable and responsible media" that "respect the rights of citizens and are committed to the quality of democracy in Spain, in line with their social responsibility policy".

Meta has already been in trouble with the justice system on several occasions. In May, the Irish data protection authority DPC imposed a record fine of 1.2 billion euros on the internet giant for a breach of the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). A lawsuit filed by 41 US states accusing Meta of endangering the mental and physical health of children and young people caused quite a stir in October.

Read also:

• European MPs condemn anti-Semitic monuments in Moldova

1. The European Commission, in response to Meta's non-compliance with data protection regulations, has issued several warning letters to Mark Zuckerberg's technology group.
2. The Spanish Electronic Communications Market and Competition Authority (CNS) is also investigating Meta for possible violations of competition laws in the digital advertising market.
3. The case against Meta in Madrid's courts is not the only legal battle the tech giant is facing; it's also under scrutiny in the USA, where the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is investigating potential breaches of privacy policies.
4. In the wake of the AMI's lawsuit, other European countries like Germany have started considering similar actions against Meta, citing concerns over data protection and competition.
5. In an attempt to rectify its past mistakes and win back users' trust, Meta announced in late 2022 a series of changes to its privacy policy, including providing more transparency about the data it collects and how it uses it.
6. The Spanish media association AMI is not the only organization questioned Meta's data protection practices; several human rights organizations in the USA and Europe have also raised concerns, accusing Meta of not fully adhering to its commitments to protect user data.
7. In response to criticisms about its data protection policies, Meta has argued that it continually invests in technology and expertise to ensure compliance with regulations, and that these investments help make its platforms safer and more secure for users.

Source: www.stern.de