Facebook shouldn't use public sexual orientation data for targeted ads: EU adviser

The sentiment comes successful a lawsuit involving privacy activistic Max Schrems, who has a past of challenging Facebook's information practices. Advocate General Athanasios Rantos of the EU’s Court of Justice suggested that adjacent publically disposable information connected intersexual predisposition should beryllium shielded from exploitation for personalized advertizing purposes.

The advisory sentiment was fixed aft Austria’s highest tribunal sought guidance from the EU’s apical tribunal connected applying the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This follows a nonaccomplishment for Facebook past twelvemonth erstwhile a apical EU tribunal upheld a German antitrust bid focusing connected the US tech giant’s quality to monetize immense amounts of idiosyncratic data.

Katharina Raabe-Stuppnig, a lawyer representing Schrems, stated, "Just due to the fact that immoderate accusation is public, does not mean it tin beryllium utilized for immoderate different purposes." She warned that allowing unrestricted usage of nationalist information could person a chilling effect connected escaped speech.

A Meta spokesperson referred to an earlier connection clarifying that Facebook "does not usage delicate information that users supply america to personalize ads."

Rantos besides recommended that GDPR should prohibit the processing of idiosyncratic information for targeted advertizing without a clip limit. Additionally, judges should measure whether Facebook's retention of idiosyncratic information for personalized ads is proportional.

This latest sentiment adds to the mounting scrutiny Facebook faces successful the EU implicit its tracking of users' online activities and smartphone app usage for targeted advertising, nether the bloc's precocious implemented rules.

The court's last ruling, which volition beryllium binding, is expected wrong the adjacent fewer months. The lawsuit fig for this substance is C-446/21.

(With inputs from Bloomberg)

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Published: 25 Apr 2024, 06:12 PM IST