In a significant legal move, a group representing 83 Spanish media outlets, including Prisa and Vocento, has filed a lawsuit against Meta Platforms, Facebook’s parent company. The AMI newspaper publishing association initiated the legal action, seeking damages for €550 million ($598 million). The lawsuit, filed in a commercial court, accuses Meta of engaging in unfair competition within the advertising market.
The crux of the complaint revolves around Meta’s alleged “massive” and “systematic” use of personal data from users across its platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The media outlets claim that Meta utilizes this data to gain an unfair advantage, enabling the design and delivery of personalized advertisements. According to the complainants, this practice constitutes a breach of data protection rules.
The media groups argue that a significant portion of Meta’s ads relies on personal data obtained without explicit consent from users, raising concerns about privacy violations. The lawsuit underscores the claim that Meta’s leveraging of user data provides an unfair edge in advertising.
The legal action represents a broader effort by Spanish media to confront technology companies and safeguard their interests. Notably, in 2014, the Spanish government compelled the closure of Google News, a service offered by Alphabet. The service remained inactive until 2022, following the enactment of new legislation allowing media outlets to negotiate directly with the tech giants.
Meta Platforms, which has not yet responded to the lawsuit, faces a substantial legal challenge as Spanish media entities aim to address what they perceive as unfair practices in the digital advertising sector. The outcome of this legal battle could have implications for the broader regulatory landscape surrounding data privacy and competition in the technology industry.
As the dispute unfolds, it raises questions about the balance between media interests and the practices of major tech corporations, emphasizing the ongoing tension between traditional media outlets and digital platforms.