Europe has forced Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, to stop collecting user behavioral data for advertising purposes. The decision is signed by the European Data Protection Board (EDPB), which approved the blocking of the “behavioral advertising” in the 30 countries of the European Union where Meta operates.
This measurement will affect approx 250 million European citizenslimiting Meta’s ability to show personalized ads based on users’ online actions.
Is it Europe against Meta again?
The controversy over Meta’s tracking of users for advertising purposes has long been a subject of debate, with criticism over the company’s lack of an adequate user consent mechanism. Meta responded by announcing a paid subscription plan for the use of its social networks without advertising, claiming to have already introduced a mechanism for consenting to behavioral advertising. However, European authorities have expressed doubts and uncertainties about the new system proposed by Meta.
In Norway, which is not part of the EU but joins the European single market, Meta was fined for similar reasons.
The block imposed by the EDPB could lead to serious economic consequences for the social media giant. In fact the block confirms a violation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Violation that provides fines of up to 4% of global turnover. This situation could extend to other companies offering online advertising services, marking a significant change in the digital privacy landscape in Europe.