Facebook’s ad business receives a huge setback in EU

The Court of Justice in the European Union has ruled that Facebook, which Meta Platforms own, must obtain permission from users before sending certain personalised advertisements. The ruling states that processing a large amount of data for custom ads without users’ permission is not justifiable.

The company was restricted in how it could use data after German competition regulators were supported.

While the ruling has not yet been published, it could require Facebook to seek users’ permission to use data on their interactions with Meta’s apps for targeted advertising. This includes activities such as commenting on an Instagram post or viewing a specific video on Instagram.