French data protectors impose fine on Facebook
Facebook has been fined 150,000 euros for its handling of user data in France. The French data protection authority Cnil accused the online network of "massively" analyzing private data of Internet users for targeted advertising.
Facebook also tracks the behavior of users on other websites via a cookie. The U.S. company is thus violating French law, the data protection authority announced on Tuesday.
The authority had publicly asked Facebook to comply with the applicable French regulations in early 2016. However, the company had not provided satisfactory answers. The fine of 150,000 euros is the highest that the data protection authority can impose.
Facebook noted the decision in a statement and disagreed with the Cnil's assessment. "Facebook has long respected European data protection law," a spokesperson said. It said it remains willing to work with the authority on these issues. Facebook has four months to appeal the decision to the Council of State, France's highest administrative court.
With regard to the evaluation of user data for the purpose of targeted advertising, the Cnil explained that there is no legal basis for this. Facebook users could indeed influence the display of advertising. However, they would not agree to the "massive combination" of their data when setting up their user account or at a later point in time, and they would not be able to oppose this. The data protection authority also criticized Facebook's use of the "datr" cookie. This would also collect data from non-Facebook users who visit a website with a Facebook function. Users, however, would not be informed about this "clearly and precisely." (SDA)
