Meta Platforms(US:META) 智通财经网·2025-11-20 10:59Core Viewpoint - A Spanish court has ruled that Meta must pay €479 million (approximately $552 million) to Spanish digital media organizations due to unfair competition and violations of EU data protection regulations [1] Group 1: Legal and Financial Implications - The compensation will be distributed to 87 digital news publishers and agencies, linked to Meta's use of personal data for targeted advertising on Facebook and Instagram [1] - The court found that Meta gained a "significant competitive advantage" in the Spanish online advertising market through illegal processing of user data [1] - The judge estimated that Meta earned at least €5.3 billion from advertising during the five-year period in question, which is considered as profits obtained in violation of GDPR [1] Group 2: Regulatory Context - The lawsuit focuses on Meta's change in the legal basis for processing personal data from "user consent" to "necessary for the performance of a contract" when GDPR came into effect in May 2018, which was later deemed insufficient by regulators [1] - In August 2023, Meta reverted to using "user consent" as its legal basis for data processing [1] - The Spanish government is also investigating Meta for alleged privacy violations, with the Prime Minister stating that a parliamentary committee will look into Meta's use of hidden mechanisms to track Android device users [2] Group 3: Broader European Context - This ruling is part of a series of fines Meta faces in Europe, including a nearly €800 million fine from the European Commission for bundling its online classified ad service with its social network [2]