Meta Fined €390m for Forced Consent on Data Use

[not2easy]

BBC reports [bbc.co.uk] Meta has been fined for the way they forced their users to consent to use of their data on the Meta platforms for the purpose of ad targeting on Facebook and Instagram. The Irish Data Protection Commission says that "agree or leave the platform" is not an acceptable way to obtain consent under the laws that govern that consent and has fined Meta €390m (£346m):

The regulator said that Facebook and Instagram can not "force consent" by saying consumers have to accept how their data is used, or leave the platform.

As Facebook and Instagram have European headquarters in Ireland, the DPC takes the lead in ensuring they comply with EU data law.

Meta was fined by the DPC in November 2022 for a data breach, that fine was €265m when user's details were shared online: [bbc.co.uk...]

The Irish Times says Meta has €2bn budgeted to cover possibilities of 2023 European fines: [irishtimes.com...]

[tangor]

The fine, while significant, is not sufficient to change FB (or other tech companies) to change their ways of data collection, though perhaps it might force a NEW method of obtaining that information. The bureaucrats will always be three steps behind for every fine enacted.

[Sgt_Kickaxe]

Facebook recently made it impossible for Canadians to browse marketplace listings unless logged in. It used to be public everywhere.

They don't seem to care that this type of behavior rubs many users the wrong way. It leaves the door open for a competitor to step in and thrive, too. Here's hoping....