Privacy Group Files GDPR Complaints Against Google and Facebook
Privacy activists are immediately testing Europe's new GDPR law by filing official complaints against Google, Facebook, and its subsidiaries for forcing user consent. The activists argue that making data sharing a condition of using these services violates the new regulations.
Europe's new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) takes effect today, and privacy activists immediately file official complaints against Google, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram. The group None Of Your Business (NOYB), founded by veteran privacy lawyer Max Schrems, leads these charges by targeting the tech giants for their approach to user consent.
The GDPR requires companies to have a valid legal basis to process personal data, with consent being a popular option. However, the law dictates that users freely give this consent, meaning companies cannot force people to agree to data collection just to use a service.
NOYB argues that Google and Facebook illegally coerce users by blocking account access unless they hit the "agree" button. The organization files coordinated complaints across multiple European regulators, asserting that this take-it-or-leave-it approach resembles a forced choice rather than a freely given agreement under the new privacy framework.