Germany’s antitrust watchdog announced on Thursday the closure of its long-running dispute with Meta Platforms after the tech giant implemented measures granting users greater control over their data usage on its platforms.
The Federal Cartel Office had, in 2019, ordered Meta—then known as Facebook—to cease merging user data collected from its subsidiaries and third-party websites without explicit user consent. The directive aimed to address concerns over the extensive collection and combination of user data across Meta’s various services.
Initially, Meta lodged legal complaints against the decision. However, following setbacks in German and European Union courts, the company opted to introduce new measures to comply with the regulatory requirements.
“Users now have much greater control over how their data are combined,” said Andreas Mundt, president of the Federal Cartel Office, in a statement. “Using the Facebook service no longer requires users to consent to Meta collecting a limitless amount of data and linking such data to their user accounts.”
Among the key steps taken by Meta is the introduction of an “Accounts Center” that allows users to manage and keep data from Meta’s different social networks—such as Facebook and Instagram—separate. Additionally, the company has implemented enhanced cookie settings to segregate Facebook data from other data, and users will receive prominent notifications with direct links to new consent options.
Meta will also limit the storage of data collected for security purposes to a specified time frame, bolstering user privacy. These measures have either been implemented or will be rolled out in the coming weeks, according to the Federal Cartel Office.
The watchdog deemed Meta’s measures “sufficiently effective” to close the case, and the company has withdrawn its pending appeal before a German court.
“As a result of our groundbreaking move in 2019, Meta has made very significant changes to the way it handles user data,” Mundt added. “The main change is that users are no longer forced to agree to the extensive collection and combining of their data to use Facebook.”
The closure of this case comes as Germany intensifies scrutiny of major tech companies under the German Competition Act, which came into force in 2021. The legislation grants the Federal Cartel Office greater powers to clamp down on anti-competitive behavior by digital giants. Meta, along with Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, and Google parent Alphabet, has been placed under increased oversight.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
