Meta's Data Harvesting Practices in Germany Ruled Against by EU Court

The European Union's highest court has upheld a decision by German antitrust regulators that Meta (formerly Facebook) abused its dominance in social media by harvesting user data for personalized ads. The ruling allows Germany's top antitrust enforcer to block Meta from combining data collected across its platforms without explicit user permission, undermining Meta's business model. The decision sets a precedent for tougher regulation of Big Tech and gives EU authorities a legal basis to examine data-collection practices that could undermine competition. The ruling is expected to influence other antitrust authorities in the EU and has implications for other online platforms that collect data for digital advertising. Meta is evaluating the decision and will need to make changes to comply with the ruling in Germany.