Spanish media association Asociación de Medios de Información filed the suit in late 2023, suing Meta for €550m.
A Madrid court has ordered Meta to pay €479m to 87 Spanish digital media outlets and news agencies for breaching the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The lawsuit, which ran for two years, revolved around Meta’s actions between 2018 and 2023, where the company was accused of taking part in unfair competition against outlets while using users’ personal data.
Spanish media association Asociación de Medios de Información (AMI) filed the suit in late 2023, suing the company for €550m. The lawsuit alleged that the Facebook and Instagram owner ignored regulations surrounding user consent.
It claimed that Meta obtained all of its targeted advertising revenue in the EU in an illegitimate way.
In its verdict published today (20 November) the 15th commercial court of Madrid sided with AMI, finding that Meta did breach GDPR. It also found that publishers were significantly disadvantaged when competing with Meta for advertising. However, Meta has said that it will appeal the judgement.
On the trial’s opening day, AMI’s director general Irene Lanzaco told reporters: “This isn’t a case that affects only AMI’s outlets, it has implications for media worldwide.
“What’s at stake is the very survival of news media, which is being threatened by the predatory behaviour of a platform like Meta, acting with no regard for our legal framework.”
The complaint brought by the Spanish outlets focused on a change in the legal basis with which Meta processed personal data when GDPR came into force in 2018. The company, instead of trying to obtain user consent to process data, began justifying behavioural advertising – though it reverted its methods in 2023.
The Madrid court has found that Meta’s actual net revenue in Spain for those five years amounts to nearly €5.3bn.
In a statement to the press, a Meta spokesperson said: “This is a baseless claim that lacks any evidence of alleged harm and willfully ignores how the online advertising industry works.
“Meta complies with all applicable laws and has provided clear choices, transparent information and given users a range of tools to control their experience on our services.”
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