Meta faces $900m advertising lawsuit from Spanish media
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The news: Spanish media outlets have filed a multi-million euro lawsuit against Facebook owner Meta, claiming most advertising on the social media platform uses personal data obtained without clients' consent, Reuters reports.
The outlets say this gives Meta an unfair advantage in the advertising market.
The numbers: A group representing the 83 outlets said it is demanding €550 million ($A899 million) from the tech giant.
The context: The news outlets allege Meta has violated EU data protection rules by using personal data gathered from its Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp products. They say data protection laws require that any website ask users for permission to keep and use personal data. Meta is yet to comment on the news.
The company is also under pressure in Canada, where it has blocked news on Facebook in response to a law that forces tech giants to pay for news content. In contrast, Google recently reached a deal to pay Canadian publishers.
What they said: "Of course, in any other EU country, the same legal proceeding could be initiated," lawyer for the newspapers Nicolas Gonzalez Cuellar said.
The source: Reuters
