Austria's Landmark Verdict: Meta's Ad Model Unlawful

Austria's Supreme Court has deemed Meta's personalized advertising model unlawful, requiring the company to provide EU users complete access to their personal data. The decision follows a case initiated by privacy activist Max Schrems, marking a significant GDPR victory. The company must separate sensitive data and cease certain data processing practices.

Austria's Supreme Court has delivered a landmark verdict against Meta, declaring its personalized advertising model unlawful. The ruling mandates that Meta must offer users across the European Union full access to their personal data within 14 days of any request. This decision sets a binding legal standard throughout the EU, challenging Meta's business model.

The court's decision, publicized on Thursday, obliges Meta to disclose not only raw data but also detailed information regarding the sources, recipients, and purposes of each piece of information. Meta's defense claims rooted in trade secret protections were dismissed as the court found the company illegally collected data, including sensitive political and health information, in violation of the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The lawsuit, originally filed by Austrian privacy advocate Max Schrems in 2014, culminated in this ruling after an 11-year legal battle involving the Austrian Supreme Court and the EU Court of Justice. Schrems' organization, None Of Your Business, highlighted the enforceable nature of this decision across the EU. The ruling also criticizes Meta for attempting to dismiss its capacity to process sensitive data separately, underscoring the influence of platforms like Facebook and Instagram on political views without explicit user consent.