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
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Druzhba Pipeline Incident Sparks Geopolitical Tensions
Cost of Opposition Leader Péter Magyar's Economic Plan Revealed
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
×