According to a secret EU privacy authority ruling, Meta will only be permitted to conduct advertising based on personal data with users’ approval, a person with knowledge of the situation said on Tuesday, dealing a blow to the US social network. Meta will not be allowed to use the user’s data for any purpose without their consent. Meta has already been accused many times of leaking tons of users of data on the internet.

The European Data Protection Board’s (EDPB) binding decision has been given a month to be considered by the Irish data protection body, which regulates Meta because its European headquarters are in Dublin. The insider, who requested anonymity due to the delicate nature of the matter, stated that the EDPB will probably require the Irish organisation to levy sanctions.

“Personalized ads are no longer subject to a yes/no choice; the consent requirement has simply been moved to the terms and conditions. Not only is this unfair, but it is also obviously illegal. No other business that we are aware of has attempted to disregard the GDPR in such a haughty manner, “in a statement, Schrems.

According to him, the EDPB’s decision requires Meta to give users access to a version of all apps that does not utilise personal data for advertisements, albeit the firm would still be free to use non-personal data to tailor advertisements or only request users’ consent. The General Data Protection Regulation, a historic set of privacy regulations for the 27-nation EU, became effective in 2018.

According to the GDPR, there is no hierarchy among this legal basis, and none should be seen as superior to any other. “GDPR allows for a range of legal bases under which data can be processed, beyond permission or the fulfilment of a contract,” the Meta representative stated. Its draught decisions for WhatsApp and Instagram are focused on the legality and transparency of processing for behavioural advertising, while its decisions for Meta’s parent company Facebook and Instagram are focused on processing for service development. Helena Brown, head of data & privacy at the London-based legal firm Addleshaw Goddard, suggested that Meta may need to modify its business strategy.

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