Meta Platforms must pay penalties of up to €10 million for failing to implement court-ordered changes to Facebook and Instagram. The Court of Appeal in Amsterdam issued this ruling following a legal challenge regarding user control over social media feeds.
Dispute over personalised timelines
The case centres on the algorithmic timelines used by Facebook and Instagram. In October, the Amsterdam District Court supported a complaint by the Bits of Freedom (BoF) foundation. Consequently, the court ordered Meta to provide an easily accessible chronological timeline alongside the standard feed of recommended posts. Although Meta immediately appealed against the October decision, the legal requirement remains in effect.
Escalation of financial penalties
While Meta has implemented a large portion of the required measures, some changes remain outstanding. Therefore, the Court of Appeal determined that there is an urgent interest in completing all adjustments. To ensure compliance, the court doubled the maximum penalty from €5 million to €10 million. Judges concluded that the previous financial incentive was insufficient to force the tech giant to adhere to the ruling.
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