The Spanish newspaper association has lodged a lawsuit against Meta, seeking millions of euros in damages for alleged unfair advertising practices

The Information Media Association, representing over 80 Spanish newspapers, has initiated legal action against Meta, the parent company of Facebook, for allegedly engaging in unfair competition in the realm of online advertising. The association claims Meta has violated European Union data protection rules.

The lawsuit, demanding 550 million euros ($600 million) in damages, includes major Spanish dailies like El País, El Mundo, ABC, and La Vanguardia as part of the association. The group alleges that between May 2018 and July 2023, Meta systematically breached EU data protection regulations by failing to secure user consent for data utilization in advertising profiling.

Meta has not commented on the case, citing the absence of legal documentation.

Meta’s platforms, Facebook and Instagram, have long practiced behavioral advertising, which involves tracking online activities of users to create targeted advertising profiles. However, recent EU court rulings have challenged Meta’s practices under data privacy regulations. In July, the EU’s highest court ruled that Meta cannot mandate user consent for personalized ads in the EU. Meta’s response was to introduce ad-free versions of Facebook and Instagram in Europe for a monthly fee.

The Spanish association argues that Meta’s use of user data, obtained without consent, provided the company with an unfair competitive edge. This, they say, poses a threat to the financial viability of Spanish media. The association urges both public and private advertisers to support media outlets that respect citizen rights and contribute to Spain’s democratic integrity.

Irene Lanzaco, the association’s director general, emphasized the need to end the practices of technology companies that disregard regulations, undermine the market, and profit from non-compliance. The lawsuit was filed in Madrid’s mercantile courts.