A Leipzig regional court has ordered Meta Platforms Ireland to pay €5,000 in compensation to a Facebook user for data protection violations related to its business tools. The ruling, delivered on Friday, justifies the substantial sum by citing significant breaches of European data protection law and referencing the substantial profits Meta derives from personalized advertising.
The court found that Meta collects user data through its business tools, even when users are not logged into Facebook or Instagram. This data is then transmitted globally, particularly to the United States, where it is analyzed. The judgment is based on the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and follows a precedent set by the European Court of Justice, which has already addressed similar cases.
The court stated that the level of compensation should exceed standard national pain and suffering awards, reflecting the immense value Meta places on personal data. Deliberately, the chamber refrained from holding an individual hearing of the plaintiff, deeming that no further pertinent information would be gained. This decision is likely to trigger a wave of further legal actions from Facebook users across Europe.
