High
Data protection authority action
Filed
Spain · Jul 27, 2023
noyb files complaint with Spanish DPA over Ryanair’s facial‑recognition verification for travel‑agent bookings
noyb lodged a complaint with Spain's Data Protection Authority (AEPD) alleging that Ryanair forces customers who book via online travel agents to undergo a facial‑recognition verification process. The complaint argues that Ryanair lacks a…
Spanish Data Protection Authority (AEPD) · General Data Protection Regulation
Moderate
Enforcement
Settled
Belgium · Jul 19, 2023
Belgian DPA settles with news outlets, allowing them to avoid GDPR compliance
Fifteen Belgian news sites paid €10,000 each in a settlement with the Belgian Data Protection Authority, which closed the cases without ordering changes to unlawful cookie banners. noyb filed complaints to force the DPA to reopen…
Belgian Data Protection Authority · General Data Protection Regulation
Moderate
Enforcement
In effect
Norway (EEA) · Jul 17, 2023 · effective Aug 4, 2023
Norwegian DPA temporarily bans Meta’s behavioral advertising on Facebook and Instagram
The Norwegian Data Protection Authority (Datatilsynet) issued a temporary ban on Meta's use of behavioral advertising on Facebook and Instagram, effective from August 4 for at least three months. The ban remains until Meta can demonstrate…
Datatilsynet · General Data Protection Regulation
Low
Enforcement
Decided
DE-NI · Jul 14, 2023
German DPA declares heise.de "Pay or Okay" cookie banner illegal
The Lower Saxony Data Protection Authority (LfD) ruled that the "Pay or Okay" model used by heise.de in 2021 violates GDPR because it does not provide specific consent for each purpose. The authority issued a reprimand, noting that…
Data Protection Authority of Lower Saxony (LfD) · General Data Protection Regulation
Moderate
Court ruling
Decided
Germany · Jul 4, 2023
CJEU rules Meta must rely on consent for advertising, limiting GDPR bypass attempts
The Court of Justice of the EU held that Meta may only process personal data for core services and must obtain freely given consent for advertising and data sharing. The judgment rejects Meta's reliance on contractual necessity and…
EDPB · General Data Protection Regulation
Moderate
Enforcement
Filed
Belgium · Jun 23, 2023
noyb files complaint against TeleSign for unlawful profiling of mobile users
noyb filed a complaint with the Belgian Data Protection Authority alleging that TeleSign receives phone data from BICS and creates reputation scores without consent, violating the GDPR. The complaint cites the use of AI-generated trust…
Belgian Data Protection Authority · General Data Protection Regulation
Moderate
Fine
In effect
France · Jun 22, 2023
French CNIL fines Criteo €40 million for GDPR violations
The French Data Protection Authority (CNIL) fined Criteo €40 million for violating the GDPR, including lack of valid consent, transparency, and failure to respect the right to erasure and access. The enforcement followed complaints filed…
CNIL · General Data Protection Regulation
Low
Interpretation
Published
Austria · Apr 11, 2023
Austrian DPA says "Pay or Okay" cookie paywalls must allow specific consent
The Austrian Data Protection Authority partially reversed its earlier stance on the "Pay or Okay" model used by Der Standard, confirming its general permissibility but requiring that users be able to say "yes" or "no" to each specific data…
Austrian Data Protection Authority (DSB) · General Data Protection Regulation
Moderate
Guidance
Announced
European Union · Apr 4, 2023
noyb launches free tool for broad Facebook opt‑out under GDPR
The privacy NGO noyb released an online tool that lets users submit a broad objection to Meta’s processing of personal data for targeted advertising, which Meta bases on “legitimate interest”. The tool simplifies the GDPR right to object…
EDPB · General Data Protection Regulation
Low
Enforcement
In effect
European Union · Mar 30, 2023
Meta to rely on 'legitimate interest' for ads after EDPB decision
noyb won a series of complaints against Meta before the European Data Protection Board in December 2022. The EDPB decision required Meta to stop using the "necessary under contract" legal basis for advertising. Meta now plans to rely on…
European Data Protection Board (EDPB) · General Data Protection Regulation
Moderate
Data protection authority action
Decided
Austria · Mar 27, 2023
Austrian DPA rules CRIF's processing of Austrian citizens' personal data illegal
The Austrian Data Protection Authority found that CRIF GmbH illegally processed addresses, dates of birth, names and other personal data of millions of Austrians obtained from AZ Direkt without consent or legal basis, ordering the deletion…
Austrian Data Protection Authority · General Data Protection Regulation
Low
Enforcement
Filed
Germany · Mar 21, 2023
noyb files GDPR complaints against German parties for political microtargeting on Facebook
noyb filed a series of complaints against several German political parties alleging unlawful political microtargeting on Facebook during the 2021 federal election. The complaints claim violations of the GDPR because the parties and…
EDPB · General Data Protection Regulation
Low
Enforcement
Published
Austria · Mar 16, 2023
Austrian DSB declares Meta tracking tools illegal under GDPR
The Austrian Data Protection Authority ruled that Meta's tracking pixel, Facebook Login and Meta Pixel violate the GDPR and the Schrems II decision on transatlantic data transfers. The decision advises EU website operators not to use any…
Austrian Data Protection Authority (DSB) · General Data Protection Regulation
Moderate
Fine
Announced
Ireland · Jan 27, 2023
Irish DPC announces €390 million fine on Meta for GDPR consent breach
The Irish Data Protection Commission announced a €390 million fine against Meta, ordering it to obtain valid consent for personalized advertising after the European Data Protection Board issued a binding decision. The fine illustrates…
Irish Data Protection Commission · General Data Protection Regulation
Moderate
Guidance
Published
European Union · Jan 24, 2023
EDPB releases draft report on minimum requirements for cookie consent banners
The European Data Protection Board's task force issued a draft report outlining unlawful cookie banner practices under EU law. It sets a minimum threshold for consent banners, including the need for a visible reject option and prohibition…
European Data Protection Board (EDPB) · General Data Protection Regulation
Moderate
Enforcement
Published
Ireland · Jan 11, 2023
Irish DPC fines Meta €60m for unlawful processing and €150m for transparency breaches
The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) issued a final decision imposing a €150 million fine on Facebook for transparency failures and a €60 million fine on Meta for lacking a legal basis to process personal data. The decision also…
Irish Data Protection Commission · General Data Protection Regulation
Moderate
Enforcement
Announced
European Union · Jan 4, 2023
EU EDPB bans Meta from using personal data for personalized ads, imposes €390 million fine
The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) decided that Meta (Facebook and Instagram) may not use personal data for personalized advertising and must obtain opt‑in consent. The decision also imposes a total fine of €390 million on Meta.…
European Data Protection Board (EDPB) · General Data Protection Regulation
Moderate
Fine
In effect
Ireland · Jan 4, 2023 · effective Jan 4, 2023
EU data protection board fines Meta €390 million and bans personalized ads
The European Data Protection Board, following the Irish Data Protection Commission, ruled that Meta's use of personal data for personalized advertising violated the GDPR and imposed a €390 million fine. Meta must obtain opt‑in consent and…
European Data Protection Board · General Data Protection Regulation
Moderate
Enforcement
Announced
European Union · Dec 6, 2022
EU Data Protection Board rules Meta's consent bypass for personalized ads illegal
The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) decided that Meta cannot force users to accept personalized ads and must obtain a yes/no consent option. The decision overturns a previous draft decision by the Irish Data Protection Commission and…
European Data Protection Board (EDPB) · General Data Protection Regulation
Moderate
Enforcement
Filed
European Union · Oct 27, 2022
noyb files 700+ GDPR complaints on cookie banners, prompting widespread addition of reject buttons
noyb scanned over 3,600 websites in March 2021 and filed more than 700 complaints across Europe for GDPR‑violating cookie banners lacking a clear reject option. Follow‑up scans in October 2022 showed that 41% of the sites added a reject…
EDPB · General Data Protection Regulation
