Meta Risks A Daily Fine Of $100,000 From Norway's Authorities Due To Privacy Concerns In User Advertising

Meta will face a significant fine for violating user privacy through advertising tactics, Norway’s data protection regulator announced Monday, unless the Facebook and Instagram owner takes action to comply with the law.

According to Datatilsynet, without agreement, behavioral advertising—a prominent marketing model that profiles people by collecting information such as their physical whereabouts, among other data—is prohibited. As a result, Datatilsynet has implemented a “temporary ban” on such actions on Facebook and Instagram.

During the prohibition, which begins on August 4, Meta faces a daily fine of up to 1 million Norwegian kroner (almost $100,000). The prohibition will “last for three months, or until Meta can show that it complies with the law,” according to Datatilsynet.

This ruling “does not ban Facebook or Instagram in Norway,” Tobias Judin, the Norwegian Data Protection Authority’s international department chief, claimed in a release. “The goal is to ensure that people in Norway can use these services safely and that their rights are protected.”

Meta said in a statement to The Associated Press on Monday that it will analyze Datatilsynet’s decision and that there will be “no immediate impact” on its services.

“The debate around legal bases has been ongoing for some time, and businesses continue to face a lack of regulatory certainty in this area,” Meta added. “We continue to engage constructively with the Irish (Data Protection Commission), our lead regulator in the EU, regarding our compliance with its decision.”

Norway is not a member of the European Union, although it is a member of the European Economic Area.

Datatilsynet cited a December judgment by the Irish DPC, which ordered Meta to put behavioral advertising in conformity with European rules by April. The regulator also acknowledged a recent ruling from the EU’s highest court, which detailed how Meta’s activities continued to violate the law.

“Nonetheless, Meta continues its practices,” Judin told The Associated Press via email. “Given recent legal developments and Meta’s inaction, we believe it is imperative that we intervene.” If not, we fear Meta will continue to delay compliance.”

It is possible that behavioral advertising may be prohibited outside of Norway. Datatilsynet has stated that it may take the matter to the European Data Protection Board, which may extend the three-month ban and have far-reaching consequences across the continent.

Meta has been under criticism for some time now about data privacy. For example, in May, the EU fined Meta a record $1.3 billion and ordered it to stop sending customers’ personal information over the Atlantic by October. In addition, due to privacy concerns, the tech giant’s new text-based app, Threads, has not been released in the EU.

Meta Risks A Daily Fine Of $100,000 From Norway’s Authorities Due To Privacy Concerns In User Advertising

Meta will face a significant fine for violating user privacy through advertising tactics, Norway’s data protection regulator announced Monday, unless the Facebook and Instagram owner takes action to comply with the law.

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