In the latest news, Meta has threatened the EU regulators of shutting down its social media platforms, Facebook and Instagram over EU regulators not allowing the company to process personal user data in both Europe and the US. Meta is making this clear in a report to the US Securities and Exchange Commission. In the said report, Meta declares that it’s important to its business to process data both in the EU and the US to make its operations and its ad-targeting business operate effectively.
Meta Warns EU of Shutting Down Facebook and Instagram in Europe
Meta’s official statement read, “If we are unable to transfer data between and among countries and regions in which we operate, or if we are restricted from sharing data among our products and services, it could affect our ability to provide our services, how we provide our services, or our ability to target ads.
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Furthermore, the problem is that EU law mandates that its citizens’ data is processed on servers established in Europe only, with prior data-sharing arrangements between the US and the EU marked as insufficient and no new rules on the horizon that would make the course legal.
To this condition, Meta responded in its report stating, “If a new transatlantic data transfer framework is not adopted and we are unable to continue to rely on SCCs [Standard Contractual Clauses] or rely upon other alternative means of data transfers from Europe to the United States, we will likely be unable to offer a number of our most significant products and services, including Facebook and Instagram, in Europe, which would materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.”
Meta Urges Regulators to Adopt a Proportionate and Pragmatic Approach
In the case of shutting down Facebook and Instagram, Meta has replied with a statement from the company’s renowned VP of Global Affairs, Nick Clegg, who stated, “We urge regulators to adopt a proportionate and pragmatic approach to minimize disruption to the many thousands of businesses who, like Facebook, have been relying on these mechanisms in good faith to transfer data safely and securely.”
Source: Mashable
