EU Court Limits Meta's Data Use for Ads

The European Union Court of Justice (CJEU) has ruled that Meta, formerly known as Facebook, cannot use all personal data obtained from users for targeted advertising without restrictions. This decision follows a long-standing challenge dating back to 2014 and reflects the EU's principle of 'data minimisation'. The ruling also applies to other online advertisement companies, requiring them to implement stringent data deletion practices.Meta's ad business model, which relies heavily on collecting vast amounts of user data, is now subject to significant limitations. The CJEU emphasised that sensitive data, even if made public by users, cannot be used for ad targeting. This ruling underscores the importance of data privacy and the need for companies like Meta to develop protocols for gradual deletion or non-use of unneeded data.