Meta Platforms Accused Of Violating EU Privacy Rules

Ursula Pachl, deputy director general of the European Consumer Organization (photo: x @GSMAEurope)

JAKARTA - Meta Platforms Inc., reportedly received privacy complaints on Thursday 29 February, when eight EU consumer groups asked supervisors to act against the Facebook owner for alleged violations of the block's privacy rules while collecting user data.

Complaints by consumer groups in the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Greece, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain to data protection authorities in their country add to previous complaints regarding the use of Meta data.

The consumer agencies say that Meta does not comply with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rules regarding fair processing, data minimization, and destination constraints, without a legal basis for the company's data collection and processing.

"The surveillance-based business model poses various problems under the GDPR and it is time for the data protection authorities to stop processing unfair data by Meta and human rights abuses," Ursula Pachl, deputy director general of the European Consumer Organization, said in a statement.

He also criticized Meta's latest launch of ad-free paid subscriptions on Facebook and Instagram in Europe, which the company says aims to comply with EU's new technology rules.

Critics say this means users have to pay for their privacy. Users who don't mind advertising can continue to use the service for free.

"The Meta offer to consumers is a smoke mirror to hide what is essentially a collection of sensitive information about people's lives, which is then monetized through its invasive advertising model," Pachl said.

Meta said their subscription changes were a response to regulatory action and court rulings.

"The unadvertising agency is responding to the latest regulatory developments, guidelines, and decisions shared by leading regulators in Europe and courts in recent years," a Meta spokesperson said.

"In particular, it is in accordance with the directives given by Europe's highest court: in July, the European Union Justice Court (CJEU) supported the subscription model as a way for people to give approval to data processing for personalized advertising."