UPDATE 1-Spanish court orders Meta to pay $550 mln to digital media companies

A Spanish court has ordered that the multinational tech company Meta pay 479 million euros ($552 million) to Spanish digital media outlets for unfair competition practices and infringement of EU data protection regulation. Madrid's Commercial Court said on Thursday the compensation, to be paid out to 87 digital press publishers and news agencies, is linked to Meta's use of personal data for behavioural advertising on Facebook and Instagram.

A Spanish court has ordered that the multinational tech company Meta pay 479 million euros ($552 million) to Spanish digital media outlets for unfair competition practices and infringement of EU data protection regulation.

Madrid's Commercial Court said on Thursday the compensation, to be paid out to 87 digital press publishers and news agencies, is linked to Meta's use of personal data for behavioural advertising on Facebook and Instagram. It said Meta had obtained a "significant competitive advantage" in Spain's online advertising market by unlawfully processing user data.

Meta did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment. On Wednesday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said a lower house committee would

investigate Meta for possible privacy violations of its Facebook and Instagram users.

($1 = 0.8681 euros)

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