According to the binding decision, heavy fines await large companies if they fail to comply with their obligations.
The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) this week adopted a binding ruling banning tech giant Meta from using users’ personal data for targeted advertising.
The decision “prohibits the processing of personal data for the purpose of behavioral advertising” throughout the European Economic Area (EEA), the body said in a statement.
The decision was made after Meta announced on Monday that European users of the Facebook and Instagram social platforms will be able to purchase subscriptions for ad-free use of the networks from November.
According to a representative of the giant, Meta has already announced that they will give people in the EU and EEA the option to opt in and offer a subscription model starting this month to meet regulatory requirements. According to the company, members of the EDPB have been aware of the company’s plan for weeks and have fully cooperated with them.
“This development is an unwarranted disregard for our careful and robust regulatory process.”
The EDPB made this decision at the request of the Norwegian data protection authority, as the latter prohibited the sending of targeted advertisements to Facebook and Instagram users based on their personal data in June.
The decision obliges Ireland’s data protection regulator, which has jurisdiction over Meta’s European operations, to take final action on the matter within two weeks, so that the ban can take effect one week later. According to the binding decision, heavy fines await large companies if they fail to comply with their obligations.
Last May, Meta was fined a record €1.2 billion by the EU after the social platform violated European Union data protection rules and continued to transfer the personal data of European citizens to the United States following a previous EU court ruling.
