
Meta Platforms is facing an order to suspend data transfers to the United States by the European Union (EU) agency responsible for protecting personal information, The Irish Times reported.
The Dublin-based Data Protection Commission’s (DPC) ruling could cause Facebook’s parent company to retaliate by removing its websites from Europe.
DPC Commissioner Helen Dixon sought the suspension Monday (Feb. 21), the news outlet reported. The final decision to proceed with the order is up to her European counterparts.
If the judgement is agreed to by EU regulators, the decision would have sweeping impacts on any company that transfers data between the EU and the U.S.
Meta has 28 days to respond to the preliminary decision, Dixon’s spokesman said.
A Meta spokesman told The Times that suspension of data transfers would not only impact millions of people, businesses and nonprofits in the EU who use the service, but also affect other companies that rely on EU-US data transfers to provide a global service.
“A long-term solution on EU-US data transfers is needed to keep people, businesses and economies connected,” Meta said.
The complaint against Facebook stemmed from Max Shrems, founder of the European Center for Digital Rights (NOYB). The Vienna-based nonprofit launched the advocacy group to initiate court cases in support of the General Data Protection Regulation, the EU’s ePrivacy measure.
Schrems said the data of Europeans is at risk when transferred across the pond, reported PYMNTS.
This is not the first action encouraged by NOYB. It filed 101 complaints in the 27 EU member states about the alleged transfer of personal data to the U.S. by Google Analytics.
Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.
Featured News
UK Business Secretary Calls for More Agile Competition Regulator
Feb 13, 2025 by
CPI
Germany’s Antitrust Regulator Raises Concerns Over Apple’s App Tracking Policies
Feb 13, 2025 by
CPI
$60 Billion Nissan-Honda Merger Falls Apart
Feb 13, 2025 by
CPI
DOJ Moves to End Protections for Three Regulatory Agencies
Feb 13, 2025 by
CPI
Meta to Allow Rivals to List Ads on Facebook Marketplace Following EU Fine
Feb 13, 2025 by
CPI
Antitrust Mix by CPI
Antitrust Chronicle® – International Criminal Enforcement
Jan 23, 2025 by
CPI
The Antitrust Division’s Recent Work to Combat International Cartels
Jan 23, 2025 by
Emma Burnham & Benjamin Christenson
Information Sharing: The New Frontier of U.S. Antitrust Enforcement
Jan 23, 2025 by
Brian P. Quinn, Casey Kovarik & Michael Tubach
The Key Role of Guidelines on Exchanges of Information Among Competitors and the Divergent Transatlantic Paths
Jan 23, 2025 by
Rosa Abrantes-Metz & Albert Metz
Leniency, Whistleblowers, and Compliance
Jan 23, 2025 by
Richard Powers, Tara O’Malley & Cory Gordon