The Facebook tools “Facebook Logins” and “Meta Pixel” also violate the GDPR, as found by the Austrian Data Protection Authority (DPA) in a complaint procedure initiated by the data protection organisation “None of Your Business” (NOYB).
NOYB had initiated complaint proceedings against various website operators who had used applications from Faceboon on their sites. The operator of a news website had installed the aforementioned Facebook tools on his website and thus accepted a data transfer to the USA. It was questionable whether the data transfer that took place was permitted by an appropriate guarantee according to art. 45 GDPR or an exception according to art. 49 GDPR.
The Austrian Data Protection Authority (DPA) has clarified that the GDPR and the so-called “Schrems II” ruling on international data transfers are violatedas soon as Facebook’s tracking pixel is used. There is inevitably a data transfer to the USA, where the data can be accessed by intelligence services and the NSA.
The urgent recommendation for European companies and website operators is to refrain from using Facebook’s tracking tools. It is yet to be determined how the third agreement, which regulates data transfers to the USA, will progress (next article).
We will report as soon as there is any news.