Norway’s data regulator announced on Thursday that the ongoing fine against Meta will be forwarded to the European data authority.
Since August 14 for three months, Meta has been fined one million crowns ($93,000) every day for violating customers’ privacy by collecting their data and utilising it to target advertisements at them, a Big Tech business model.
Datatilsynet has now forwarded its decision to the European Data Protection Board, which could render it irrevocable and expand it to include the European Union and the European Economic Area. Norway is a part of the European Single Market even though it is not a member of the EU.
“Meta is not respecting our decision in Norway and they continue to violate the law across Europe,” Tobias Judin, Datatilsynet’s head of international section, told Reuters.
“Over 250 million people are affected. Therefore, it is necessary to get a final decision from the EDPB so that we can force compliance on the European level.”
The choice was made after Meta unsuccessfully requested a temporary injunction against the fine imposed by Datatilsynet.
Given that it “has already committed to moving to the legal basis of consent for advertising in the EU/EEA,” Meta said it was “surprised” by Thursday’s decision.
According to the Norwegian regulator, Meta was not clear about when or how it would obtain users’ agreement, and in the interim, users’ rights were being infringed upon.
