Norway threatens Meta with €89,000 daily fine over privacy breach

The Norwegian Data Protection Authority is banning Meta from using behavioural advertising because it flouts data privacy rules, and will hit the firm with around €89,000 (NOK1m) in fines per day if it fails to change its practices. The ban will initially apply from 4 August to October, or until Meta complies with the law. It applies to both Facebook and Instagram. The Norwegian Data Protection Authority, known as Datatilsynet, believes that behavioural advertising, which profiles users by collecting information like their physical location, without consent is illegal. Norway is not a member nation of the EU but is included in the European Economic Area (EEA). In December last year, lead regulator for Meta the Irish Data Protection Commission issued a decision on behalf of all data protection authorities across the EEA that Meta has conducted illegal behavioural advertising. Meta has since made changes to its advertising but a recent decision from the European Court of Justice found the company’s behavioural advertising still does not comply with the law. Therefore, the Norwegian Data Protection Authority is now taking action by imposing a temporary ban. The decision does not stop Meta from showing behavioural advertising to users who have consented to the practice. “The Norwegian Data Protection Authority’s decision does not ban Facebook or Instagram in Norway. The purpose is rather to ensure that people in Norway can use these services in a secure way and that their rights are safeguarded,” said the regulator’s international head Tobias Judin. “All business models must respect privacy as a human right. Users must have sufficient control over their own data, and any tracking must be limited,” he added. The Irish Data Protection Commission normally supervises Meta because the company is headquartered in Dublin. But other data protection authorities can step in when they believe there is an urgent need to act. In such cases they can issue a decision for a three-month period. The Norwegian Data Protection Authority clearly thinks the time has come for it to step in. “If we don’t intervene now, the data protection rights of the majority of Norwegians would be violated indefinitely,” it said. It may take the matter to the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) after the summer so the central regulator can decide whether the decision to ban Meta’s behavioural advertising may be extended beyond the initial three-month period. Meta can decide to challenge the Norwegian Data Protection Authority’s decision in the Oslo District Court and has already told the regulator it disagrees with the ruling. Meta has been hit with series of hefty fines for breaking data protection rules in Europe, including a record €1.2bn GDPR fine in May for breaking rules when transferring Facebook data from the EU to the US. Fines levied against companies in breach of Europe’s data protection laws totalled €832m in 2022, down from €1.3bn in 2021, according to Atlas VPN. But Meta accounted for €670m, or 81%, of total GDPR fines during the 12 months.

Norway threatens Meta with €89,000 daily fine over privacy breach

Want to read this article?

Read Next

Strebel to replace Gonzalez as head of Swiss Re China

Risk managers want software providers to integrate more AI tools

Court says German government must tighten up climate protection

Premium increases continue to slow down in US commercial P&C market

Alternative solutions and specialty drive Scor’s Q1 growth

Strebel to replace Gonzalez as head of Swiss Re China

Risk managers want software providers to integrate more AI tools

Court says German government must tighten up climate protection

Premium increases continue to slow down in US commercial P&C market

Alternative solutions and specialty drive Scor’s Q1 growth

Want to read this article?

Read Next

Strebel to replace Gonzalez as head of Swiss Re China

Risk managers want software providers to integrate more AI tools

Court says German government must tighten up climate protection

Premium increases continue to slow down in US commercial P&C market

Alternative solutions and specialty drive Scor’s Q1 growth

Related Articles