Key Points:
- Spain’s data protection authority, the AEPD, has banned Meta from launching election-related features on Facebook and Instagram ahead of the European Elections.
- The decision was made to protect user privacy, invoking emergency powers under the GDPR.
- Meta has complied with the order, which could last up to three months, due to concerns about data collection and user profiling.
Spain’s data protection authority, the AEPD, has prohibited Meta from launching features on Facebook and Instagram that would collect data on Spanish voters ahead of the upcoming European Elections. This move, grounded in privacy concerns, leverages the emergency powers granted by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to safeguard local users’ information.
In a statement explaining this “precautionary measure,” the AEPD mandated Meta to halt the deployment of its Election Day Information and Voter Information Unit features. This suspension aims to prevent the collection and processing of user data associated with these features. Meta confirmed its compliance with this directive, which is effective for up to three months.
The AEPD’s decision underscores the urgency to prevent data collection, user profiling, and the unauthorized transfer of personal information. The GDPR allows any European data protection authority to act swiftly when there are imminent risks to users’ privacy within their jurisdiction, even though Meta’s primary GDPR oversight is managed by Ireland’s Data Protection Commission.
The crux of the AEPD’s concern lies in the potential violation of GDPR principles, particularly regarding the lawfulness of data processing and adherence to data minimization standards. Political opinions, classified as “special category” data under the GDPR, demand explicit user consent for processing, a criterion that Meta’s planned features might not meet. This decisive action by the AEPD reflects a stringent stance on protecting personal data during sensitive electoral periods.
