(Brussels) Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp) will now seek consent from its EU-based users before allowing their data to be shared for targeted advertising on its social media, it announced Tuesday.
This new provision is intended to meet “changing regulatory requirements”, explained the American internet giant in a blog post, following a tussle with the privacy policeman in Ireland, where the company has its European headquarters.
Meta had been handed two hefty fines totaling €390 million in January by the Irish regulator, which was acting on behalf of the EU, for breaches of the European Data Regulation (GDPR).
Above all, Meta was deprived of the legal basis which authorized it to compile, store and analyze the data of the hundreds of millions of Europeans using its services without formally asking them for their consent. The regulator’s decision required it to ask its users for specific consent in order to offer them targeted advertising.
Currently, users who register on Facebook and Instagram have this data sharing permission enabled by default, which allows Meta to generate highly personalized and highly lucrative advertisements.
“Today we are announcing our intention to change the legal basis we use to process certain data for personalized advertising purposes for individuals” based in the EU as well as Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, a explained Meta.
“There is no immediate impact on our services in the region. Once this change is activated, advertisers will still be able to conduct personalized advertising campaigns in order to reach potential customers, “assured the Californian group, indicating that it is maintaining” a constructive dialogue “with regulators.
Europe represents a key market for Meta. Facebook had around 300 million daily active users in Europe at the end of 2022, out of a total of 2 billion worldwide, with Europeans generating around a fifth of Meta’s advertising revenue.
Several US internet giants have been hit in recent years with massive fines for their business practices in the EU and must adapt to comply with strict EU data privacy regulations.
Meta is also one of the digital giants on which the new EU rules against anti-competitive practices (DMA) will be imposed next year, and, from the end of August, new obligations to fight misinformation, hate Online and Counterfeits (DSA).