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Coordinated Attack on the American Tech Giant
According to La Lettre, over a hundred French media outlets are preparing to file a lawsuit against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, in the Paris Court of Economic Affairs. This collective lawsuit targets practices that are allegedly not in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The plaintiffs charge the American company with unfairly gaining an advantage in the digital advertising market by collecting and using personal data without the informed consent of users. This is a practice that has been strictly regulated by the GDPR since it took effect in 2018.
Losses Estimated in the Hundreds of Millions of Euros
According to the French media initiating this action, Meta has captured a significant portion of the digital advertising market at the expense of European publishers. The company is accused of circumventing rules regarding consent and data processing. Targeted are Meta’s highly effective advertising targeting mechanisms, made possible by the analysis of behavioral data collected on a large scale.
The economic damages are estimated to be several hundred million euros, which the complainants now seek to have recognized by the courts. This could be one of the most structured actions taken in Europe by media against a digital platform.
A New Front in Transatlantic Tensions
This move is part of a context of growing tensions between Europe and major American platforms, regarding both tax issues and digital regulation. Following the implementation of the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA), European authorities—and now local businesses—are increasingly taking steps to enforce community regulations against tech giants.
While states have been the main actors in these disputes so far, the mobilization of a traditional media coalition marks a new phase. This action could also set a precedent, encouraging similar initiatives elsewhere in Europe.
Meta under Regulatory Pressure
Already targeted by several open procedures by data protection authorities, particularly in Ireland, Meta is facing increasing pressure on its advertising practices. The company has been forced to introduce new consent options for European users, and now offers a subscription model without ads as an alternative to the free model funded by personal data.
However, the complainants believe that these adjustments came too late and have not been sufficient to offset years of practices deemed non-compliant.