- Enforcing jurisdiction
- Germany · Geography does not establish applicable law.
- Confirmed applicable legislation
- Privacy topics
Meta Platforms Ireland Limited – Court Ruling (Germany, 2025)
Privacy enforcement record
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A court in Berlin ruled on a complaint against Meta Platforms regarding Facebook's 'Find Friends' feature. This case is significant because it raises questions about how companies can use personal data without consent.
What happened
The court addressed a complaint claiming that Meta processed users' data without proper consent through its 'Find Friends' feature.
Who was affected
Facebook users who uploaded contact information and other data were affected.
What the authority found
The court found that Meta did not have a valid legal basis for processing this personal data.
Why this matters
This ruling highlights the importance of obtaining clear consent from users before processing their personal information, which is crucial for all businesses handling user data.
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Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd (the controller) is a company that operates the social media platform Facebook. An umbrella consumer organisation brought a complaint regarding Facebook’s “Find Friends” feature. This feature allows registered data subjects to upload third persons’ contact information, as well as pictures, nicknames, relationship status or professional details. This also applies to third persons who are not Facebook users. At the time, the controller stored all this data, including log data related to calls and text messages (metadata). Data subjects who uploaded this data were able to delete it from their account at any moment. According to the controller’s privacy policy, the aim of this processing was to help connect people or generate friend suggestions for data subjects. The controller retained data of non-registered data subjects in the event that they created an account in the future. The consumer organisation brought a case against the controller in June 2018, demanding that the court issue a cease-and-desist subject to a penalty. According to the organisation, the “Friends Finder” feature violated Article 6(1)(a) GDPR, 25(2) GDPR and 5(1)(c) GDPR, because the controller processed data subjects’ data without consent. The organisation also argued that the controller created comprehensive user profiles for personalised advertising purposes without a legal basis, in violation of Article 6(1) GDPR. In addition, the controller lacked explicit consent to process sensitive personal data that users entered in their accounts, in violation of Article 9(2)(a) GDPR. Finally, the organisation argued that the controller did not meet its information obligations by providing legal bases without linking them to specific data processing activities and purposes. This was a violation of Article 13(2)(f) GDPR. The controller argued that the organisation did not have standing, and contested the competence of the court. The controller also argued that its processing ac
Outcome
Court Ruling
A ruling by a national court on a data-protection matter.
Related Cases (1)
Other cases involving Meta Platforms Ireland Limited in DE
Details
Ruling Date
2 December 2025
Authority
DPA LGBerlin
About this data
Cite as: Cookie Fines. Meta Platforms Ireland Limited - Germany (2025). Retrieved from cookiefines.eu
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