Social media users may see their Facebook and Instagram access end this summer after a ruling by Ireland's privacy regulator ordered Meta, the firm that own Facebook and Instagram, to stop sending data and information to the United States due to concerns over how private and personal data is harvested and used by the platforms.
The Irish Data Protection Commission has told the other European governments that it will block Meta sending data after a long-standing court battle with the company that would have ramifications for the European Union.
In 2020 the European Court of Justice annulled an EU-U.S. data flows pact called Privacy Shield due to US surveillance practices.
Meta insists that all data they use is handled safely. The companies use the data to target advertisements towards certain demographics and users with certain behaviours and interests and serves as the basis for their highly profitable business model.
Meta says that such a ruling could stop all their activities in Europe. Following the announcement, the company made a statement in which they said:
"If a new transatlantic data transfer framework is not adopted and we are unable to continue to rely on SCCs or rely upon other alternative means of data transfers from Europe to the United States, we will likely be unable to offer a number of our most significant products and services, including Facebook and Instagram, in Europe."
The EU may however override this decision and are currently in negotiations with the US to by-pass this law. Many governments feel that a shut down of Facebook or Instagram in Europe would be hugely unpopular given the vast spread of these platforms.
Meta added:
"This draft decision, which is subject to review by European Data Protection Authorities, relates to a conflict of EU and U.S. law which is in the process of being resolved. We welcome the EU-U.S. agreement for a new legal framework that will allow the continued transfer of data across borders, and we expect this framework will allow us to keep families, communities and economies connected."
[Based on reporting by: POLITICO]
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