Meta Seeks Injunction from Norwegian Court to Suspend Privacy Fine
Meta Platforms (META.O) on Tuesday formally appealed to a Norwegian court to reverse a fine imposed by the nation’s data regulator.
The fine was levied against the owner of Facebook and Instagram for breaching user privacy, a case that carries potential ramifications across Europe.
Meta Platforms has been fined 1 million crowns ($94,313) daily since August 14 for harvesting user data and using it to target advertising at them, a practice common in Big Tech.
The company has requested a temporary restraining order against the order, which imposes a daily fine until November 3.
“Meta has already committed to ask for consent (from users),” Christian Reusch, a company lawyer, told the court on Tuesday.
Datatilsynet, Norway’s data regulator, informed Meta on July 14 that it intended to fine the company unless Meta took corrective action. The regulatory agency implemented the fine on August 7.
Meta announced on August 1 that it would require consent from European users before allowing behavioral advertising, citing a January decision by the company’s primary regulator in Ireland.
Reusch also told the court that Datatilsynet used an “expedited process” that was unnecessary and did not give the company enough time to answer.
Datatilsynet’s arguments will be presented on Wednesday.
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The regulator previously stated that it was unclear when and how Meta would seek consent from users and that their rights were being violated in the meantime.
“Datatilsynet will argue that there is no basis for an injunction,” Tobias Judin, the regulator’s head of international section, told Reuters.
Datatilsynet could make the fine permanent by referring its decision to the European Data Protection Board, which has the authority to do so if it agrees with the decision of the Norwegian regulator.
This could also broaden the decision’s territorial scope to include the rest of Europe. This is something Datatilsynet has yet to do.
The hearing will last two days at the Oslo district court.
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Source: REUTERS
