German Court Awards Facebook User €5,000 for Extensive Surveillance by Meta’s Business Tools
The Leipzig District Court has awarded €5,000 in compensation to a Facebook user for violations of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) related to Meta’s Business Tools. The court found that Meta Platforms Ireland Limited systematically breached GDPR by using extensive tracking technologies embedded on third-party websites, which collect and transfer user data globally without proper consent. This ruling is based solely on Article 82 of the GDPR, setting a precedent for compensation calculations under European data protection law.
Meta’s Business Tools operate via tracking pixels and cookies that create detailed user profiles by monitoring behavior across millions of websites. The court highlighted that these tools bypass privacy protections, including Android’s tracking safeguards, and enable Meta to link user data even when users are not logged into Facebook or Instagram. The data is transferred internationally, particularly to the United States, raising concerns about surveillance and data security. The court emphasized the vast scale of data processing, which results in near-complete surveillance of users’ online activities.
The €5,000 compensation was calculated by considering the commercial value of personal data for Meta’s advertising business, which generated approximately €108 billion in advertising revenue in 2021. The court recognized the high societal value of personal data and the significant impact of unauthorized data processing. Unlike other cases, the Leipzig court did not hold an informational hearing, noting that it would not provide additional insights into the specific use of data by Meta, which remains largely unknown to users.
This ruling has broad implications for digital marketing and privacy enforcement across Europe. It signals increased legal risks for websites using Meta’s tracking technologies and supports private legal actions as an effective enforcement tool alongside regulatory measures. The decision aligns with GDPR objectives to protect user privacy and holds companies accountable for unauthorized data processing. Meta may appeal the ruling, but the judgment sets a clear benchmark for compensation claims related to data protection violations.
