- The European Union (EU) has fined Facebook’s parent company Meta for privacy violations, totaling 390 million euros ($414 million).
- Meta has been banned from forcing EU users to agree to personalized ads based on their online activity.
- Irish regulators have already imposed four other fines on Meta for data privacy infringements, totaling over 900 million euros.
The Irish Data Protection Commission has imposed two fines totaling 390 million euros on Facebook’s parent company Meta for violating EU privacy regulations.
Meta has also been banned from forcing users in the European Union to agree to personalized ads based on their online activity.
This decision could significantly impact Meta’s business model of targeting ads to users based on their online behavior.
Meta has faced regulatory issues from the EU regarding privacy violations before, with four previous fines totaling over 900 million euros.
In addition, the company is facing antitrust accusations from EU officials in Brussels.
The decision in a third case involving Meta’s WhatsApp messaging service is expected later this month.
Meta has stated that it intends to appeal both the latest decision and the fines.
Since the EU has prohibited Meta from requiring users in the EU’s 27 member countries to consent to targeted ads based on their online behavior, the ruling could potentially impact Meta’s profits in the EU.
It could also lead to added costs for Meta as they work to comply with the decision, as users will now have to opt-in to having their data used for advertisements.
The decision is a victory for consumer protection and privacy rights, as well as a challenge to the capitalist system that prioritizes profits over people’s basic rights.
Categories: Business, Economy, Government, International, Society, Tech
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