WIRED: Meta, facing daily fines of $100,000, has conceded to Norway’s privacy watchdog, Datatilsynet. The tech giant, notorious for using user “activity” to guide targeted ads, has been under intense scrutiny for its disregard of explicit consent.
Meta’s activity data, ranging from social media interactions to time spent on videos, creates personal profiles. This collected data, used in behavioral advertising, paints a vivid picture of users’ interests and behaviors. Critics argue this is invasive without explicit consent.
Historically resisting Europe’s demands for consent, Meta recently announced its intention to shift the data processing basis for behavioral advertising to consent. This move followed Norway’s threat to ban Meta’s behavioral ads, due to take effect on August 4th.
Meta’s decision is seen as a victory in Norway, despite the company’s claim of voluntary change. Privacy advocate Max Schrems highlighted that Meta’s compliance has been long overdue since the GDPR came into force. Meanwhile, Norwegian regulators pledge to closely monitor Meta’s implementation.