European online rights activist group Ekō has filed complaints with data protection authorities in several European countries about Facebook owner Meta’s targeted advertising practices.
The UK-based organisation said on February 27 it had filed complaints with watchdogs in Norway, Germany and Spain.
It claimed it had collected evidence that the US online giant owned by Mark Zuckerberg, which also operates Instagram and WhatsApp, had not listened to explicit user requests to opt out of data collection and targeted advertisements.
On its website, Ekō described itself as “a community of people from around the world committed to curbing the growing power of corporations”.
“We want to buy from, work for and invest in companies that respect the environment, treat their workers well and respect democracy.”
A Meta spokesperson said the company was unaware of the details of the Ekō complaints and could not respond but added that it was committed to protecting users’ data privacy.
In light of Europe’s data protection rules, the global US tech firm introduced ad-free versions of Facebook and Instagram in Europe that required a paid subscription and people who agreed to be tracked – most users – got a free service funded by ad revenues.
Europe’s Data Protection Board (EDPB) questioned that policy in 2024 but has not taken action.
“EU data protection regulators must pull Meta into line,” Ekō spokesperson Eoin Dubsky said. He added that 5,000 members of the group had asked Meta to stop processing their personal data.
With the users’ permission, Ekō said it then observed as the company continued to serve them targeted ads.
Dubsky said Eko’s goal was to trigger an investigation or action from the watchdogs.
Tobias Judin, a spokesman for Norway’s data protection authority, confirmed it had received complaints from Ekō members and that it had relayed them to the Irish Data Protection Commission, the lead supervisory authority for Meta in Europe.
“However, speaking on a general level, the right to object is a key right for individuals, as invasive tracking and monitoring for advertising purposes may violate their fundamental rights,” Judin said, adding that Norway would remain involved in the case.
