Particle.news

Berlin Court Bars Meta From Using Non-User Contacts, Limits Ad Profiling Without Consent

The decision currently operates under an injunction pending Meta’s appeal.

Overview

  • Landgericht Berlin II ruled that Facebook’s Friends‑Finder may not upload or process contact data of people who are not platform members in Germany.
  • The court ordered Meta’s Irish unit to cease the contested processing, with a threatened enforcement fine of up to €250,000 for violations.
  • Judges also found Meta may not assemble comprehensive advertising profiles from registered users’ data without explicit, affirmative consent.
  • The ruling did not mandate deletion of contact data already on Meta’s servers, though non‑users can check and request removal via a dedicated Meta portal.
  • The Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband brought the 2018 case; some claims were rejected, including unproven profiling of non‑members, and the December 2, 2025 judgment is not yet legally binding.