In the worst case, Europeans could be left without Facebook and Instagram.
Meta criticizes EU legislation. Adobe Stock / AOP
Facebook’s parent company Meta’s annual report was hidden threat. If the EU stubbornly adheres to its own legislation on user data, European users could be left without Facebook and Instagram.
The controversy relates to EU legislation requiring data on European users to be retained on the continent. Meta, on the other hand, wants flexibility so that data can be moved quickly between different continents. In practice, therefore, between Europe and the United States, for example.
– If we are unable to transfer data between countries and territories, or if we are prevented from sharing data between our products and services, it may affect our ability to provide our services as intended. In addition, it may have an impact on our ability to display targeted advertising, Meta’s release notes.
However, this explanation has not yet been valid for the EU. Meta bases its claim on the fact that the transfer of data is an essential part of the service’s intended operation.
Meta believes that an agreement will be reached in 2022, but if all goes wrong, it could mean goodbye to Facebook and Instagram in Europe.
This would be a major blow not only to users but also to the thousands of companies that advertise their products and services through Facebook and Instagram.