Digital Lives Back In Control: European Commission Compels Facebook To Be Transparent About Ads And Profiling

The European Commission (EC) on Tuesday (9 April) announced that social media giant Facebook has updated its terms and services to clearly explain how the company uses its users' data to develop profiling activities and target ads to finance the company.

“The new terms detail what services, Facebook sells to third parties that are based on the use of their user's data, how consumers can close their accounts and under what reasons accounts can be disabled,” said the EC in a statement.

This change in Facebook’s stance over transparency about its business model comes in the aftermath of the Cambridge Analytica scandal and as a follow-up to the EC’s investigation on social media platforms in 2018.

"Today Facebook finally shows commitment to more transparency and straight forward language in its terms of use. A company that wants to restore consumers trust after the Facebook/ Cambridge Analytica scandal should not hide behind complicated, legalistic jargon on how it is making billions on people's data,” said Vera Jourová, Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality.

Control Over Digital Lives

“Now, users will clearly understand that their data is used by the social network to sell targeted ads. By joining forces, the consumer authorities and the European Commission, stand up for the rights of EU consumers,” she added.

The changes will take effect worldwide, in another sign of how stricter EU rules on tech companies have a ripple effect across the globe.

Also Read: Google Makes It A Habit: Breaks EU’s Antitrust Rules, Fined €1.49 Billion In Third Such Offence