Spanish court to start hearing media case against Meta

Core Points - More than 80 Spanish media organizations have filed a lawsuit against Meta for allegedly breaching EU data protection rules, with a trial set to begin in a Spanish court [3][4] - The lawsuit seeks 551 million euros (approximately $647 million) in compensation for unfair competition in digital advertising sales, claiming that Meta systematically violated the law from May 2018 to July 2023 [4][5] - The media association AMI argues that Meta's actions have undermined the viability of media organizations and the public's right to information [5][6] Group 1 - The Spanish media association AMI claims that Meta has created "unfair competition" by ignoring European regulations, which require user consent for personalized advertising [4][5] - Witnesses are scheduled to testify in Madrid, with expert reports and closing arguments expected shortly after [5] - AMI represents major media groups, including Prisa, Godo, Vocento, and Unidad Editorial, which publish some of Spain's leading newspapers [7] Group 2 - A separate lawsuit has been initiated by Spanish radio and television stations against Meta, seeking 160 million euros in damages for similar reasons [7] - A comparable legal action has also been launched in France, where around 200 media groups have filed against Meta [8]