Applaud Facebook and Co.: EU Court of Justice restricts data use

Austrian lawyer Max Schrems isn't letting up when it comes to the data collection madness of big social media platforms. Image: Neub

Renowned data protection activist Max Schrems has scored another legal victory against Meta Group.

The European Court of Justice restricts the use of personal data by companies such as social media group Meta.

it fits in General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) The principle of “data minimization” is inconsistent with the established principle of “data minimization” if all personal data are “aggregated, analyzed and processed indefinitely, without distinction according to their type, for the purpose of targeted advertising” Contradictory. Europe's top court announced on Friday.

The background is a lawsuit brought by Austrian data protection activists Max Schrems. In the past, he has achieved two stunning victories in disputes with Facebook at the European Court of Justice (ECJ), affecting the entire data exchange between the United States and the European Union.

What is this about?

Schrems and his organization Noyb complained that Meta did not comply with the “data minimization” principles in the GDPR and simply stored all online behavior instead of limiting processing to what was necessary.

Schrems' lawyer Katharina Raabe-Stuppnig was delighted:

“We are very pleased with the verdict, although the outcome was certainly expected.”

Meta has essentially been building a massive user database for 20 years, and it's growing every day. Under the ruling, even if users agree to be served ads, only a small portion of Meta's data pool can be used for ads. and:

“This ruling also applies to all other online advertising companies, which generally do not have data minimization procedures.”

What's the problem?

The Facebook user data stored by Meta Group dates back to 2004 and may include data collected from the user themselves or other users through online tracking or tracking in mobile applications. To prevent such practices, the GDPR establishes the principle of “data minimization,” requiring processing to be limited to strictly necessary data. So far, Meta and many players in the online advertising space have completely ignored this rule and have not provided deletion periods or limits based on the type of personal data, as criticized by data protection advocates at Noyb.

Mark Zuckerberg's US company said through a spokesperson:

«Meta takes data protection very seriously and has invested over €5 billion to integrate data protection into the core of all our products. Everyone who uses Facebook has access to a variety of settings and tools that allow users to control how their data is used. “

How does this case relate to sexual orientation?

Another point in the lawsuit is the company's handling of sensitive personal data such as sexual orientation. The GDPR provides special protection for this data and can only be used in certain special cases. This exception exists, for example, if the information has become public.

This question arises in this case, Because Max Schrems spoke about his homosexuality in a panel discussion, possibly making it publicIt makes sense for Facebook to use personalized ads.

The European Court of Justice stated:

“The fact that the data subject apparently disclosed data about his or her sexual orientation means that these data can be processed in accordance with the provisions of the GDPR.”

It cannot be ruled out that Schrems clearly disclosed his sexual orientation at the event. The Austrian Supreme Court must decide whether the use of this information complies with data protection regulations.

source

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