Italian watchdog penalises Meta for data practices

Italy’s antitrust regulator AGCM has fined Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, for unfair commercial practices, it announced on Wednesday according to Reuters.

AGCM found that Instagram users were not properly informed about the use of their personal data for commercial purposes, and users of both platforms lacked proper information on contesting account suspensions. Meta has already addressed these issues.

A Meta spokesperson stated, “We disagree with the Italian competition authority’s decision and are assessing our options.” Since August 2023, Meta has implemented changes for Italian users to increase transparency on data usage for advertising.