Spain Fines Meta Platforms for Unlawful Data Advantage
The ruling comes after a protracted conflict involving more than 80 digital media organizations, which accused Facebook’s parent company of leveraging its dominant position in the online advertising sector.
AMI, the association representing these outlets, filed a lawsuit in 2023, asserting that Meta’s advertising methods between May 2018 and July 2023 violated competition and privacy regulations by granting the company an unfair data-driven edge.
On Thursday, a commercial court in Madrid directed Meta to pay €479 million (approximately $550 million) in damages.
The court found that the company had processed data from Facebook and Instagram users for behavioral advertising without adhering to competition or data protection standards.
AMI stated that the verdict could create a precedent for related cases, including one currently proceeding in France.
According to a news agency, the judges remarked that Meta’s “illicit treatment of this enormous quantity of personal data” provided it with a competitive advantage that domestic outlets “could not match.”
The court further highlighted that Meta reverted to a user consent system in August 2023 and estimated that the company had amassed at least €5.3 billion (roughly $5.7 billion) in advertising revenue during the period under scrutiny.
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