Spanish newspaper association files multimillion-euro suit against Meta over advertising practices
Associated PressMADRID — A Spanish association representing more than 80 newspapers has filed a lawsuit against Facebook parent Meta accusing it of unfair competition in online advertising by allegedly ignoring European Union rules on data protection. The association accuses Meta of “systematic and massive non-compliance” with EU data protection regulations between May 2018, when they took force, and July 2023. The Spanish association said the use of personal data of users of Meta platforms, tracked without their consent, allowed the U.S. company to offer advertising space based on an “illegitimately obtained competitive advantage,” indirectly threatening the livelihood of Spanish media. It called on advertisers in the public and private sectors “to entrust their advertising campaigns to safe, reliable and responsible media, respectful of the rights of citizens and committed to promoting democratic quality in Spain.” “The time has come to put an end to the behavior of technology companies that can afford to pay million-dollar penalties to continue failing to comply with regulations, destroying the market in which we operate and making the illegitimately obtained income their own,” said Irene Lanzaco, director general of the association.