Human rights campaigner Tanya O’Carroll has launched a lawsuit against Meta in the UK High Court, alleging the technology conglomerate is continuing to use her personal data for targeted advertising on its Facebook service despite her objections.
Under the UK’s data protection rules, people have the “right to object” to the collection and processing of their personal data for direct marketing purposes, including any associated profiling. O’Carroll’s lawsuit, filed on 16 November 2022, claims that despite exercising her legal right to object, Meta is continuing to collect, process and use her information for these purposes. Rather than seeking monetary compensation, O’Carroll is seeking a yes or no decision on whether she can opt out of being profiled for advertising purposes.
If successful, O’Carroll’s litigation could set a precedent for people who object to Meta’s surveillance-based business model, by allowing them to more easily challenge the firm’s ability to track and profile them. Meta’s third-quarter earnings, released in October 2022, show the firm’s advertising revenue came in at $27.2bn. This is in line with what the company said it expects when it announced second-quarter earnings.
