Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Meta threatens to pull Facebook, Instagram from EU – media

Meta threatens to pull Facebook, Instagram from EU – media

Tech giant apparently warned that bloc’s regulatory scrutiny over ‘transatlantic data transfers’ affects its ability to deliver targeted ads
Facebook and Instagram services in Europe may have to be shut down if their parent company, Meta, can’t process, store and transfer data from European users on US-based servers, the tech giant reportedly warned. A number of media outlets cited its annual filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission in reporting the development.

The main sticking point for Meta is “transatlantic data transfers,” which are regulated by a number of agreements that the company uses as the legal basis for storing data from EU users on US servers. These model agreements are currently under legal and regulatory scrutiny in Europe – and could potentially “affect [Meta’s] ability to provide our services... or our ability to target ads.”

In the report, Meta stated that it would “likely” be unable to offer “a number of our most significant products and services,” including Facebook and Instagram, in Europe if a new transatlantic data transfer framework is not adopted and the firm is unable to use its current model agreements or “rely upon other alternative means.”

“Substantially all of our revenue is currently generated from third parties advertising on Facebook and Instagram,” the company noted, adding that it relied on “data signals from user activity” in order to “deliver relevant and effective ads to our users.” The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), among other rules, has impacted its “ability to use such signals in our ad products.”

Following the GDPR’s adoption, Meta added that an “increasing number of users” have opted to “control certain types of ad targeting in Europe.” It expects this trend to “increase further with expanded control over certain third-party data” as part of its compliance efforts in line with data privacy rules set out in the EU’s ePrivacy Directive.

If it does not “deliver ads in an effective manner,” Meta warned that “marketers will not continue to do business with us” or “reduce the budgets they are willing to commit to us.” The company’s adtech tools have been regularly criticized for harvesting granular data from users, allowing businesses to design “personalized” ads depending on “sensitive” criteria such as interests and demographic information.

The company previously used an EU-US data transfer agreement called Privacy Shield, which was struck down for data protection violations in 2020 by the European Court of Justice. Also that year, the Irish Data Protection Commission (IDPC) provisionally concluded that the model agreements Meta uses for data transfers – called Standard Contractual Clauses – were incompatible with EU privacy requirements set out in the GDPR.

Under European regulations, data on residents can only be transferred to a country outside the EU if that country offers sufficient protection to this information.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
×