Social media giant Meta, home to Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, is facing a lawsuit from Spain's media association AMI for over 550 million euros due to alleged non-compliance with European data protection regulations since 2018. The association, consisting of 83 major Spanish media outlets, claims that Meta's violation of EU rules led to advertising losses for involved parties.
Citing various resolutions by European authorities, the lawsuit alleges that Meta continually ignored the requirement for user consent to utilize data for advertising purposes. Mark Zuckerberg's technology group has been accused of repeating EU data protection regulation violations. Meta has faced legal trouble before, earning a record 1.2 billion euro fine from the Irish data protection authority DPC in May for breaching the GDPR.
The Spanish media association calls for support from Spanish public and private companies, advocating for advertising campaigns with "safe, reliable, and responsible" media that respect user rights and uphold democracy values.
The AMI lawsuit isn't Meta's only legal battle. The Spanish Electronic Communications Market and Competition Authority (CNS) examines potential competition law violations in the digital advertising market by Meta. Lawsuits and investigations also occur in the USA, with the Federal Trade Commission scrutinizing data privacy policy breaches.
In light of this, Germany and other European countries are considering similar actions against Meta due to data protection and competition concerns. Meta looks to rectify its past mistakes, announcing changes to its privacy policy to increase transparency and user trust in late 2022.
Human rights organizations in the USA and Europe have expressed concerns over Meta's data protection practices, accusing the tech giant of not fully adhering to data protection commitments. Meta argues it invests in technology and expertise to ensure regulatory compliance, which safeguards users on its platforms.
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Enrichment Data: Meta's legal challenges in 2024 extend beyond the specific suit mentioned in the base article. The company faced numerous violations, including a significant data breach and allegations related to the protection of children's privacy and EU antitrust rules. These controversies led to global investigations and fines in various jurisdictions. The lawsuit from the Spanish association AMI is part of this broader scenario of legal challenges Metafaced in Europe and beyond.
