Meta threatened with daily $100,000 fine on privacy fears in Norway

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
17 Jul 2023 22:28

Norway's Datatilsynet has threatened to fine Meta $100,000 per day over privacy breaches unless remedial action is taken.

The Meta logo is seen at the Vivatech show in Paris, France, June 14, 2023. (AP)

Data protection authorities in Norway announced on Monday that they would forbid Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram, from collecting user data for targeted advertising and threatened to fine the company $100,000 per day if it did so in the future.

Due to privacy concerns, prominent US internet companies are under close review throughout Europe, and in recent years, significant fines have been imposed.

According to the country's national Data Protection Authority (DPA), Datatilsynet, Meta collects information on users' whereabouts, preferred content, and posts for marketing purposes.

"The Norwegian Data Protection Authority considers that the practice of Meta is illegal and is therefore imposing a temporary ban of behavioural advertising on Facebook and Instagram," it said in a statement.

To give Meta time to make amends, the ban will start on August 4 and last for three months. If the business doesn't comply, it will be penalized $100,000 each day in kroner.

Norwegian public radio station NRK quoted Meta's spokesman, Matthew Pollard, as saying that the firm will examine the requirements and that the statement won't have an immediate impact on its operations.

According to the Norwegian authority, the decision does neither prohibit Facebook and Instagram from operating in the nation nor be a blanket ban on behavioral advertising.

The Austrian digital privacy campaign group, noyb, which has complained about Meta's actions several times, welcomed the decision and expected other nations' data regulators will follow suit.

Meta suffered a significant blow early this year when European regulators rejected the legal justification Meta had offered for collecting users' personal information for use in targeted advertising.

Also, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) rejected Meta's many workarounds and gave antitrust regulators the authority to consider data privacy issues; this was yet another significant blow that Meta suffered earlier this month.