The European Union’s Supreme Court has ruled against Meta on European privacy laws.
Privacy activist Max Schrems filed a complaint against Meta ten years ago for using his personal data for advertising purposes. After multiple complaints on Schrems’ part, the European Court now agrees with the privacy activist. Meta allegedly failed to comply with European privacy laws. Namely, the company used unobtained personal data for advertising purposes. No verdict or possible penalty has yet been determined, but the European Court has already established the facts.
Data minimization
The ruling comes after Austrian privacy activist Max Schrems filed multiple complaints against Meta. He allegedly received ads aimed at gay men on Facebook, following a public panel discussion where sexual orientation was discussed. Meta then allegedly used that information for advertising purposes, which is against European privacy laws, also known as the General Data Protection Regulation (AVG).
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More specifically, the complaint relates to the principle of data minimization, which is mentioned in the EU’s AVG privacy regulation. Under this legislation, Meta may not use all personal data to serve ads. Indeed, Schrems argues that the company was at fault because it used specific personal data, in this case sexual orientation, for advertising purposes. Moreover, Meta is not allowed to keep this information indefinitely.
The possible punishment for Meta has not yet been determined, but the company must already change its advertising policy. There is no verdict yet, but the European court has already determined the facts.