Spain to analyze Meta for alleged Android privateness breaches

The investigation stems from worldwide analysis that discovered Meta had used a hidden mechanism to trace the online exercise of Android system customers

MADRID, Spain – Spain’s parliament will examine Meta for potential privateness violations of its Fb and Instagram customers, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez mentioned on Wednesday, November 19.

“In Spain, the legislation is above any algorithm or any massive know-how platform. And anybody who violates our rights can pay the results,” Sanchez mentioned in a press release.

The investigation stems from worldwide analysis that discovered Meta had used a hidden mechanism to trace the online exercise of Android system customers, Sanchez’s workplace mentioned.

Meta mentioned it will work with Spanish officers on the difficulty.

“Meta takes privateness very severely and gives a variety of instruments to assist individuals management how their information is used. We stay up for participating constructively with the authorities on this matter,” a Meta spokesperson mentioned in a textual content message.

Spain’s investigation into the US tech large threatens to additional bitter relations with Washington, which has rounded on Madrid over its failure to satisfy NATO spending targets and for its friendliness with Beijing.

President Donald Trump’s administration has additionally criticized the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which seeks to curb the ability of Huge Tech, and the Digital Companies Act, which requires massive on-line platforms to sort out unlawful and dangerous content material.

Spain’s authorities mentioned Meta might have violated varied European Union legal guidelines on safety and privateness together with its Basic Knowledge Safety Regulation (GDPR), the ePrivacy Directive, the DMA and the DSA.

Meta, which is led by US billionaire Mark Zuckerberg, shall be referred to as to testify earlier than a decrease home committee, it added.

The US firm has had a number of authorized clashes with the European Fee, which in preliminary findings in October mentioned Meta and TikTok had breached their authorized obligation to grant researchers enough entry to public information.

The Fee fined Meta 798 million euros ($923 million) in 2024 for abusive practices benefiting Fb Market whereas in July final yr it charged the corporate for failing to adjust to the DMA in its new pay or consent promoting mannequin. – Rappler.com