Meta Platforms Inc., formerly Facebook Inc. – CJEU Judgment (European Union, 2023)
CJEU judgment — not a DPA enforcement action
This is a Court of Justice ruling, not an enforcement action by a data protection authority. It is not included in cookie statistics or the Risk Calculator.
The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that Meta Platforms Inc. tracked users without their consent through cookies. This ruling is significant because it reinforces the need for companies to get permission before tracking users online. Businesses using similar tracking tools should review their consent processes.
What happened
Meta Platforms Inc. tracked users across websites using cookies without obtaining consent.
Who was affected
Internet users whose browsing was tracked by Meta's cookies were affected.
What the authority found
The Court held that Meta lacked a valid legal basis for processing personal data, violating GDPR's requirements for user consent.
Why this matters
This ruling sets a strong precedent for user consent in online tracking. Companies should ensure they have clear consent mechanisms in place to avoid legal issues.
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Automated check recorded — 9 April 2026.
Processing notes: national law identified.
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{{CJEUdecisionBOX | Case_Number_Name = C‑252/21 | Date_Decided = 2023-07-07 | ECLI = ECLI:EU:C:2023:537 | Reference_Body = OLG Düsseldorf | Reference_Case_Number_Name = Kart 2/19 | Initial_Contributor = at | Judgement_Link = https://curia.europa.eu/juris/document/document.jsf?pageIndex=0&doclang=EN&docid=275125 | Opinion_Link = https://curia.europa.eu/juris/document/document.jsf?pageIndex=0&doclang=EN&docid=265901 | Party_Name_1 = Meta Platforms Inc., formerly Facebook Inc. | Party_Link_1 = https://about.meta.com/ | Party_Name_2 = Meta Platforms Ireland Limited | Party_Link_2 = | GDPR_Article_1 = Article 6(1)(a) GDPR | GDPR_Article_2 = Article 6(1)(f) GDPR | GDPR_Article_Link_1 = Article 6 GDPR#1a | GDPR_Article_Link_2 = Article 6 GDPR#1f | EU_Law_Name_1 = Article 4(3) TFEU | EU_Law_Name_2 = Article 101 TFEU | EU_Law_Link_1 = https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/treaty/tfeu_2016/art_4/oj | EU_Law_Link_2 = https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/treaty/tfeu_2016/art_101/oj | National_Law_Name_1 = § 19(1) GWB (in EN) | National_Law_Name_2 = § 32(1) GWB (in EN) | National_Law_Link_1 = https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_gwb/englisch_gwb.html#p0062 | National_Law_Link_2 = https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_gwb/englisch_gwb.html#p0227 | Party_Name_3 = Facebook Deutschland GmbH | Party_Name_4 = Bundeskartellamt | Party_Name_5 = Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband e.V. | Party_Name_6 = | Party_Name_7 = | Party_Name_8 = | Party_Name_9 = | Party_Name_10 = | Party_Name_11 = | Party_Name_12 = | Party_Name_13 = | Party_Name_14 = | Party_Name_15 = | Party_Name_16 = | Party_Name_17 = | Party_Name_18 = | Party_Name_19 = | Party_Name_20 = | Party_Link_3 = | Party_Link_4 = https://www.bundeskartellamt.de | Party_Link_5 = https://www.vzbv.de/ | Party_Link_6 = | Party_Link_7 = | Party_Link_8 = | Party_Link_9 = | Party_Link_10 = | Party_Link_11 = | Party_Link_12 = | Party_Link_13 = | Party_Link_14 = | Party_Link_15 = | Party_Link_16 = | Party_Link_17 = | Part
Outcome
CJEU Judgment
A judgment by the Court of Justice of the European Union, typically on a preliminary reference from a national court.
Violations (1)
Third-party tracking cookies or scripts are loaded without obtaining prior user consent.
Art. 13, 14 GDPR
Related Cases (0)
No other cases found for Meta Platforms Inc., formerly Facebook Inc. in EU
This is the only recorded case for this entity in this jurisdiction.
Similar Cases
Enforcement actions with similar violations
Details
About this data
Cite as: Cookie Fines. Meta Platforms Inc., formerly Facebook Inc. - European Union (2023). Retrieved from cookiefines.eu
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