Complaint against Meta from Europe: It is collecting personal data illegally!

European Union (EU) consumer associations from 8 member countries have filed a complaint against Facebook and Instagram owner Meta, alleging that it collects personal data illegally.

The Brussels-based European Consumer Organisation (BEUC), the umbrella organization for consumer associations in European countries, announced that associations in France, Spain, the Netherlands, Czechia, Denmark, Greece, Slovakia, and Slovenia have reported Meta to the data protection authorities in their respective countries.

The statement noted that Meta does not adhere to the principles of fair processing, data minimization, and purpose limitation under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), stating, "Consumer groups are complaining about the massive illegal data processing activities behind Meta's 'pay or consent' smokescreen."

The statement further noted that Meta lacks a valid legal basis to justify the data collection it performs on Facebook and Instagram users, and that the choices Meta imposes on users do not lead to free and informed consent.

The statement also highlighted that through its illegal practices, Meta maintains a system that tracks consumers online and collects vast amounts of personal data for the purpose of showing them advertisements, and that the company profits in this manner.

On the other hand, Meta had begun offering European users a monthly subscription option to access Facebook and Instagram without advertisements.

News Source: AA