Facebook’s Use of Personal Data Ruled Illegal by German Court

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The tide is turning — the forces that are arrayed against these giants are growing.

The US government has used anti-trust laws to break up monopolies. They ought to break up Facebook. Section 2 of the Sherman Act highlights particular results deemed anticompetitive by nature and prohibits actions that ‘shall monopolize, or attempt to monopolize, or combine or conspire with any other person or persons, to monopolize any part of the trade or commerce among the several States, or with foreign nations.’ Couldn’t the same be applied to information? The United States government took down Standard Oil, Alcoa, Northern Securities, the American Tobacco Company and many others without nearly the power that Facebook has.

Read my latest over at The American Thinker. We are seeing an unprecedented erosion in our First Amendment rights, increasingly prohibiting the flow of ideas and free expression in the public square (social media). Run by left-wing self-possessed snowflakes, social media giants are indulging their worst autocratic impulses. And because they can, it is getting worse. “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

“Facebook’s Use of Personal Data Ruled Illegal by German Court,” by Lucas Nolan, Breitbart, February 13, 2018:

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A German court recently ruled that Facebook’s use of users’ personal data is illegal.

Reuters reports that a German court has ruled that Facebook’s use of user personal data is illegal as the company did not sufficiently secure consent from users. The Federation of German Consumer Organisations (VZVB) that Facebook’s terms of service and its default user settings breached consumer law. Heiko Duenkel, the litigation officer at VZVB stated: “Facebook hides default settings that are not privacy-friendly in its privacy center and does not provide sufficient information about it when users register.”

Facebook stated that they had made significant changes to their terms of service and data protection guidelines since the case was brought against them in 2015, and promised to appeal the ruling saying, “We are working hard to ensure that our guidelines are clear and easy to understand, and that the services offered by Facebook are in full accordance with the law.” The company also plans to update their data protection guidelines and terms of service to comply with new rules introduced by the European Union that are set to take effect in June 2018.

Germany’s Federal Cartel Office (FCO) has also taken issue with Facebook and has begun their own investigation into the social media platform. The FCO said in December that they objected to the method Facebook uses to access third-party data when an account is registered on their site. Facebook collects information from both WhatsApp and Instagram — both companies owned by Facebook — when a new user registers. The FCO also took issue with an element of Facebook’s mobile app which automatically revealed users locations to other users on the app….

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Mahou Shoujo
Mahou Shoujo
6 years ago

Who do the germans think they are dealing with here? face book will be telling the german government what they will be doing about everything. Who do these uppity germans think owns them?

Mahou Shoujo
Mahou Shoujo
6 years ago
Reply to  Mahou Shoujo

When I have a period, I do not care about the latest McLaren, I do care about midol.

Suresh
Suresh
6 years ago

Long overdue.

Did you know Like facebook , twitter, even Google has joined Islamofascist gang http://tinyurl.com/lgp28rs

To censor conservative and Anti-jihadi news to push the islamisation agenda of the Left/Liberal/jihadis funded by saudi/qataris.

Barthel
Barthel
6 years ago

Facebook wanted me to prove my identity. I used a pseudonym because my remarks are not PC, and some people who know me would not agree with my comments, but some would. Rather than creating friction between me and some of my associates, I felt it better to remain covert. Somebody blew me in to Facebook, and they want documents to prove I am the Confederate general whose name I took. Consequently, I am off Facebook. Screw Facebook.

R. Arandas
R. Arandas
6 years ago
Reply to  Barthel

Yes, sometimes, they can lock you out of your account for no apparent reason.

R. Arandas
R. Arandas
6 years ago

Not a big fan of the German government, but they are right in that Facebook has had its way for far too long.

Mark Huber
Mark Huber
6 years ago

Facebook is an evil empire; allowed to operate because of the corruption and debasement of morality within our country. Too many people have made too much money off Facebook to give a rip about freedom, religion, our civilization or their own integrity. The people must unite. The President is a populist, continue to press this point and I think he will come around.

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Thanks for sharing!