Meta's Ad Practices Under Fire in Europe

Online rights activists in Europe have filed complaints against U.S. firm Meta for its advertising practices, alleging that the company ignored explicit user requests to opt out of data collection. Eko, a consumer rights group, seeks to trigger a data protection investigation into Meta's targeted ads.

Online rights activists have lodged complaints with data protection authorities in several European countries, targeting Meta's advertising practices, according to the Eko group. The complaints were filed in Norway, Germany, and Spain, accusing Facebook's parent company of ignoring users' requests to opt out of data collection.

A Meta spokesperson stated that the company is unaware of Eko's complaints but remains committed to safeguarding user data privacy. Despite introducing subscription-based ad-free versions in Europe to comply with data protection laws, the tech giant's policies are still under scrutiny by the European Data Protection Board (EDPB).

Eko's spokesperson, Eoin Dubsky, emphasized the importance of pulling Meta in line with EU regulations. Dubsky revealed that 5,000 members requested Meta ceases processing their data, yet the company persisted in serving targeted ads. Eko aims to prompt regulatory actions through its complaint filings.

(With inputs from agencies.)