511
submitted 8 months ago by L4s@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world

Meta accused of ‘massive, illegal’ data collection operation by European consumer rights groups. | CNN Business::European consumer rights groups are accusing Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, of carrying out a “massive” and “illegal” operation of collecting data from hundreds of millions of its users in the region.

all 33 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[-] RobotToaster@mander.xyz 52 points 8 months ago

They'll be given another fine for an hour or so of profit.

[-] Danksy@lemmy.world 4 points 8 months ago

Meta holds the record for the largest gdpr fine at 1,2 billion euro.

[-] RoseRose56@lemmy.world 3 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

So what? They should not fine them? Facebook is dead, mainly old people and ads are keeping it running. If you have any other ideas, please tell us!

[-] RobotToaster@mander.xyz 33 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

I'm suggesting they should fine them an amount that will actually hurt.

[-] wewbull@feddit.uk 2 points 8 months ago

Best get their money before it disappears then.

[-] veeesix@lemmy.ca 32 points 8 months ago

“We are gravely concerned about Meta’s practices,” a spokesperson for the Norwegian Data Protection Authority told CNN Thursday.

And yet Europeans will flock in droves to get everyone and their grandmother to make WhatsApp their default messaging app.

[-] Mannimarco@lemmy.world 39 points 8 months ago

It was the default before Facebook bought it, switching now is a pain in the ass

[-] gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works 35 points 8 months ago

Which is exactly why Facebook bought it.

[-] Mannimarco@lemmy.world 10 points 8 months ago

I know, I'm just getting a little tired of people blaming individuals for still using Whatsapp

[-] PhobosAnomaly@feddit.uk 13 points 8 months ago

I mean, it sucks yes, but there has to be an acceptance that if you continue to use Meta products in the knowledge that Meta will rip you off for every shred of data that they can, then there's not really a defence of ignorance any more.

Meta are absolutely a cunty company, but it's not as if that's not common knowledge any more.

It will only stay as the default messaging platform for as long as people bury their heads in the sand as tradeoff for convenience.

[-] Mannimarco@lemmy.world 12 points 8 months ago

You say it's common knowledge, but in my experience people don't know this, and in a lot of cases people don't give a shit

And Facebook is still working very hard to hide stuff like this from people, the reality is that unless you engage on platforms like this or are looking for it you won't see it

[-] glouriousgouda@lemmy.myserv.one 3 points 8 months ago

I left about 1.5 years ago. All of the major socials that is. And honestly, in places like this, it felt kinda "empty". So I'd peek in every once in a while just to see if I could figure out what it is. And it's all the obviously controlled noise that is attached to every aspect of me using the service(s). Location, device type, browser type, personal demographics, political stuff etc. I deleted everything shortly after that.

It was the noise I was missing. Just the garbage and the noise. I don't think you can fully appreciate how prevalent it is until you don't have it occupying so much personal real-estate. (time/space/attention)

[-] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 3 points 8 months ago

True. Well, it’s dystopia for us then.

[-] RageAgainstTheRich@lemmy.world 11 points 8 months ago

I tried so hard getting my family to switch to Signal and they just won't. My mother did though! But we kept having calling issues so we had to switch back to whatsapp for that. Eventually we only used whatsapp again. Nobody else uses Signal and since they removed the functionality to receive text messages in the Signal app, i just removed it. It sucks because i want to use it.

[-] BlackArtist@lemmy.world 3 points 8 months ago

I had the same issue, managed to get my 78 year old mother to swap then they removed text, so now no one in the family will swap.

[-] glouriousgouda@lemmy.myserv.one 14 points 8 months ago

Wow, so this is what it looks like when a country decides to stand up for it's people and protects our privacy. Neat.

[-] cosmicrookie@lemmy.world 6 points 8 months ago

It's not the actual countries doing it but consumer organizations in those countries. The reason they can though is because EU has set up rules to protect its people.

[-] glouriousgouda@lemmy.myserv.one 2 points 8 months ago

That's a very poor understanding of how laws and regulations are ratified and passed into law. A consumer org can't just say "hey, don't do this!" and they just have to stop.

[-] moistclump@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago

No but I imagine they can organize and funds and act as a plaintiff.

[-] HootinNHollerin@lemmy.world 14 points 8 months ago

Lock zucc up

[-] Treczoks@lemmy.world 11 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

I hope they get Facebook by the balls for this. I know that Facebook has data about me without my consent - it asks users to basically upload their addressbooks to "find friends", and people who have my data in their addressbook are on Facebook. And I don't believe that if the Facebook algorithm does not find a match for an address book entry immediately just deletes that entry. Heck, even that matching violates my rights to my data.

[-] SomeGuy69@lemmy.world 5 points 8 months ago

They realized it's better to grab the data, obfuscate and hide them and just pay whatever fin. Data once locked behind any sort of protection or paywall might never be available ever again, so grab like a kleptomaniac.

[-] cosmicrookie@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago

Leaving Facebook is not as difficult as i feared and expected. I did it back in October when they introduced paid unreasonable subscriptions (that still would track anything i did) and asked for my account to be deleted yesterday when they forced new privacybpolicy to messenger (or the option to create a new non facebook messenger account).

The hardest part was finding online communities about my hobbies. But then you realize that the online communities on Facebook are mostly toxic or spam content.

When in finally did find the place where you can delete your account (thianis quite well hidden) in was even given the option of tramsferimg all my pictures and videos over to cloud storage services like Dropbox, Google photos etc.

They will procedebwith the account deletion within 30 daysnand i am quite happy to finally have left the platform and it's sister platforms. In had planned non using what's app for messaging but realized that itbalsonis owned by meta and that if they don't already track me there, they eventually will

[-] MGN22@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago

All they have to do is say the data was collected to prevent Covid or white nationalism and everyone here will thank them and ask for more.

[-] militaryintelligence@lemmy.world 3 points 8 months ago

It's the WoKe MiNd vIrUs

this post was submitted on 29 Feb 2024
511 points (100.0% liked)

Technology

58998 readers
3228 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.


Our Rules


  1. Follow the lemmy.world rules.
  2. Only tech related content.
  3. Be excellent to each another!
  4. Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
  5. Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
  6. Politics threads may be removed.
  7. No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
  8. Only approved bots from the list below, to ask if your bot can be added please contact us.
  9. Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed

Approved Bots


founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS