Facebook Instagram Parent Meta in Trouble 550 Million Euros Lawsuit Filed Against Mark Zuckerberg Company

A group representing more than 80 Spanish media organizations on Monday launched legal action against Meta, the parent company of popular social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, filing a lawsuit worth an alleged 550 million euros (about Rs 496.55 crore). The media group has alleged that Meta, which also owns WhatsApp, has violated European Union (EU) rules related to personal data protection.

French news agency (via NDTVAccording to the lawsuit, Spain’s AMI newspaper publishing association claims that Meta engaged in the “systematic” extraction of personal data from users on its platforms from May 2028 to July 2023. According to the lawsuit, the platform’s process violates EU rules that oblige companies to obtain users’ consent for use in advertisements.

The lawsuit argues that Meta’s actions led to unfair competition in the advertising market. By offering personalized ads derived from “illegally obtained” data, the US tech giant gained a competitive advantage while violating EU data privacy laws. The report further states that major Spanish media companies, including El Pais publisher Prisa and ABC owner Vocento, are part of the consortium filing the suit.

AMI’s president, José Joly, said Meta had established its dominant position in the advertising market by disregarding rules on personal data protection, causing Spanish media to suffer large losses and endangering their sustainability.