EDPB Extends Ban on Meta’s Targeted Advertising Across Europe, Following Norway's Appeal

In response to an appeal by Norway's Data Protection Authority, Datatilsynet, the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) has expanded a temporary ban on targeted advertising on Facebook and Instagram across the European Economic Area (EEA).

This decision further intensifies the scrutiny of Meta's data collection and advertising practices in Europe.

Norway's Appeal to EDPB

In early October, Datatilsynet urged the EDPB to impose a permanent ban on Meta's data harvesting apparatus that enables targeted advertising based on users' data.

The Norwegian authority expressed concern over Meta's use of content preferences, user postings on Facebook and Instagram, and location data to create personalized profiles for targeted advertising.

EDPB's Urgent Binding Decision

On Oct. 27, the EDPB issued an urgent binding decision instructing Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) to prohibit the processing of personal data collected for behavioral advertising throughout the EEA within two weeks.

Following the evaluation of Meta's proposal for a consent-based data processing approach by the Irish regulator, Meta will have a week to adhere to this order.

"After careful consideration, the EDPB considered it necessary to instruct the IE SA to impose an EEA-wide processing ban, addressed to Meta IE," EDPB Chair Anu Talus said.

Meta's Non-Compliance with Previous Orders

The EDPB had clarified in December 2022 that a contract wasn't an adequate legal basis for Meta's personal data processing for advertising purposes.

Talus emphasized that the Irish authority found Meta non-compliant with the mandates issued at the end of last year, underlining the imperative for Meta to "stop unlawful processing" and to "bring its processing into compliance."

Datatilsynet's Concern over Illegal Tracking

Datatilsynet noted that Meta had been duly informed about the violation of the European privacy regulation (GDPR), yet the company continued its data processing activities.

Although Meta reportedly promised to seek user consent to use data for advertising, no substantial changes have been made thus far. The continual illegal tracking, monitoring and profiling on Facebook and Instagram prompted Datatilsynet to escalate the issue to the EDPB, which agreed about the necessity and urgency of a Europe-wide ban on such data collection activities.

Recommendations for Personal Online Data Safety

In light of these developments, individuals are encouraged to be more vigilant about online data privacy. Here are a few recommendations:

• Regularly review and update privacy settings on social media and other online platforms.
• Be cautious about sharing sensitive information online.
• Use reputable ad-blockers and privacy-focused browser extensions to minimize data collection.
• Consider using alternative social platforms that prioritize user privacy.
• Use specialized tools like Bitdefender VPN to protect your digital privacy.