Facebook privacy is an oxymoron. The two words just don’t go together. Belgium’s privacy commission feels the same way. They are taking Facebook to court in Belgium and suing them for their privacy practices or lack thereof. Facebook tracks their members and non-members alike. They use the “Like” and “Share” buttons on other websites to track users. Then as you might guess they can use the data for targeted advertising.
The Belgium privacy commission has been communicating with Facebook about it’s privacy practices. They are especially concerned about how Facebook treats non-members. Facebook is all about tracking users, whether they happen to be members or not. There is a lot of profit to be made either way. By utilizing the data gathered through their “Like” and “Share” buttons on external sites, Facebook can target advertising.
The timing is a bit questionable since Facebook is set to meet with the Commission de Protection de la Vie Privée (CPVP) on Friday, just one day after the first court hearing. The lawsuit could certainly be a political move to give the CPVP the upper hand when they meet with Facebook on Friday. Regardless of the timing their motivation seems clear. The CPVP wants Facebook to move forward with their privacy recommendations.
Facebook contends that the CPVP does not have jurisdiction over Facebook Ireland. They want to negotiate through the Irish data protection commissioner. Regardless of the outcome, Facebook is facing actions throughout Europe including investigations in Belgium, Germany, and The Netherlands. They also face a data privacy class action suit in France. The European commission has gone so far as to warn users to close their Facebook accounts if they don’t want to be spied on by US security services.
We will keep you informed as the actions progress. You can follow us on Twitter @VPNFan for the latest privacy news, VPN reviews and discounts.