22. 08. 2023 | Kristýna Bezděková

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The Norwegian regulatory authority has assessed Meta Platforms a million-dollar fine, which it should pay every day, for collecting user data to target advertising. But the mother of Facebook and Instagram understandably doesn’t like that, so it has asked the Norwegian court to stop enforcing the fine.

The fine was set at NOK 1 million, which is equivalent to NOK 2.08 million. At first glance, this may not seem like a staggering amount for Meta, but the company should be paying the aforementioned amount in full every day until a remedy is negotiated.

In practice, in other words, this means that the total amount could easily reach more than NOK 30 million (62.52 million kroner) in just one month. Meta has been obliged to pay since 14 August.

In court, Meta’s lawyers argue that the change cannot be made overnight. “At the same time, Meta has already committed to seeking consent from users to use their personal data for targeted advertising,” Meta’s attorney Christian Reusch argued in Norwegian court on Tuesday, according to Reuters.
He stressed that the regulator had used an accelerated procedure in setting the fine. Even though it was not necessary, Meta was not given enough time to take corrective action, he said.

However, the Norwegian regulator sees it differently. According to the regulator, Meta was informed of the intention to impose a fine in mid-July. As the company did not react promptly enough, officials proceeded to impose a recurring daily fine until 3 November.

But the fine could easily be extended indefinitely before the deadline expires. This would mean that the US internet giant would be hit with a total fine of millions each day. The hearing will continue on Wednesday, where lawyers will defend the authority’s actions. This is a key battle for the Met. As user data protection tightens across Europe, any success in Norway could prompt other countries to rush the mother of Facebook and Instagram to court.

Moreover, Reuters noted that the Met dispute is just the tip of the iceberg. After all, collecting user data and then using it to more accurately target advertising is a common practice among big tech companies. While the more reputable companies ask users for consent, giving them a choice in using their services, some try to circumvent the current legislation.

Source, photo: reuters.com

Kristýna Bezděková

Kristýna is a student of marketing and communication in an undergraduate program. She writes and translates content into the Czech language