Meta Faces $600 Million Lawsuit from Spanish Media Outlets Over Unfair Competition

The lawsuit alleges violation of EU data protection rules through the use of personal data for personalised ads without express consent.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is facing a lawsuit filed by a group representing 83 Spanish media outlets, citing unfair competition in the advertising market.
The lawsuit alleges that Meta's 'massive' and 'systematic' use of personal data of its Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp platform users gives it an unfair advantage in designing and offering personalised ads.
The Spanish media outlets argue that most of the ads placed by Meta use personal data obtained without express consent from clients, violating the EU General Data Protection Regulation in force since May 2018.
The lawsuit, which demands 550 million euros ($600 million), could potentially be replicated across the European Union.
This legal action is the latest attempt by legacy media to fight tech giants in courts to protect their interests, as media organisations worldwide struggle to make tech giants pay fair fees for using and sharing their content.