Facebook Face Court Action from Belgian Privacy Watchdog
 |
| wersm.com |
Facebook stands accused of tracking the web activity of its users and even monitoring those without an account. Both of those things are in breach of Europe's web privacy laws. The investigation, carried out by the Independent Privacy Commission (with input from several other European countries), is just one part of a barrage of European legal assaults against larger US tech companies. Google and Amazon have both been in the firing line, albeit for very different reasons.
The court will convene on June 18th, with the primary focus of the hearing being Facebook's alleged tracking of non-users, mostly via cookies. The Commission are angling after an outright ban on this kind of monitoring. In response, Facebook have claimed that this is being blown out of all proportion and that cookies are a standard practice all over the net with a clear opt-out. They also argue that any regulatory laws which govern their online activity in the EU should be Irish, since that's where their European headquarters are. The Irish government have been criticised by the rest of the EU in the past for being a soft touch on this kind of thing.
If the case does go through and Facebook end up losing, it could open up a path to similar lawsuits all across the EU and likely create far stricter limitations on what the colossal social media company can and cannot do across the continent. There are facing similar accusations of privacy breach even now in Austria, who are seeking damages settlements for all the plaintiffs (and there are a lot).
Even generally speaking, Facebook have something of a rocky relationship with the EU, who earlier this year clearly and specifically advised its citizens to promptly delete their Facebook accounts if they didn't want to be monitored by US security services. The larger Facebook grows and the more detailed the user information it takes on, the more issues like this are going to crop up and it begs the question: where is the line between data being useful and it being needlessly intrusive? One way or the other, we'll find out.
Callum Davies
Callum is a film school graduate who is now making a name for himself as a journalist and content writer. His vices include flat whites and 90s hip-hop. Follow him @CallumAtSMF
Facebook Face Court Action from Belgian Privacy Watchdog
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Rating:
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Rating:
Unknown
Keeping you up to date on social media, digital marketing, apps, news & reviews. Social media, and digital marketing as a whole, are rapidly and constantly changing, adapting to new developments at an ever increasing rate. Just keeping up to date can be a nightmare. Our team of writers know their field, and keep an ear to the ground. We aim to keep you informed of all recent developments in the online world, and teach you a little something along the way. So whether you just want to stay connected, or gain some knowledge for yourself, the Social Songbird will keep on singing! More articles are posted every day so keep checking back! Join the discussion on Twitter - #SocialSongbird Or contact us directly - @SocialSongbird_
Entrepreneur, international speaker on Social Media Marketing. First one in the UK to write and speak in conferences about Twitter as a marketing tool. Consultant to Corporate Companies, Government Organizations, Marketing Managers and Business Owners.
Aspiring novelist with a passion for fantasy and crime thrillers. He hopes to one day drop that 'aspiring' prefix. He started as a writer and soon after he was made Executive Editor and Manager of the team at Social Songbird. A position he held for 5 years.
Adrienne is a passionate writer with experience in editing, content creation, and social media marketing. She’s a lover of animals, helping others improve their writing, and 2000s pop culture.
Musician, audio technician, professional tutor and a Cambridge university English student. Interested in writing, politics and obsessed with reading.
Recently graduated with a BA in English Literature from the University of Exeter, and he is about to study an MA in Journalism at the University of Sheffield. He is an aspiring journalist and novelist; in his free time he enjoys playing chess, listening to music and taking long walks through nature.
Lucy is an undergraduate BSc Politics and International Relations student at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Anna Coopey is a 4th year UG student in Classics at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. She is a keen writer and researcher on a number of topics, varying from Modern Greek literature to revolutionary theory.
Ellie is a recent BA English Literature graduate and aspiring publisher with a passion for writing. Her favourite pastimes include reading and shopping.