{"id":6528,"date":"2025-11-20T15:45:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-20T11:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/news\/economy\/meta-pays-spanish-court-552m\/"},"modified":"2025-11-21T07:33:22","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T03:33:22","slug":"meta-pays-spanish-court-552m","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/news\/economy\/meta-pays-spanish-court-552m\/","title":{"rendered":"Spanish Court Fines Meta $552M: What This Means for Your Business and Digital Advertising in Oman"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>\r\n@keyframes hitv3sog-fadein{from{opacity:0;transform:translateY(14px)}to{opacity:1;transform:translateY(0)}}\r\n@keyframes hitv3sog-slideup{from{opacity:0;transform:translateY(20px)}to{opacity:1;transform:translateY(0)}}\r\n@keyframes hitv3sog-pulse{0%,100%{box-shadow:0 0 14px #dc262688}50%{box-shadow:0 0 32px #dc2626,0 0 60px #dc262655}}\r\n@keyframes hitv3sog-shimmer{0%,100%{opacity:0.3;transform:scaleX(0.4)}50%{opacity:1;transform:scaleX(1)}}\r\n@keyframes hitv3sog-glow{0%,100%{opacity:0.6}50%{opacity:1}}\r\n@keyframes hitv3sog-badge{from{opacity:0;transform:scale(0.8)}to{opacity:1;transform:scale(1)}}\r\n<\/style><style>\r\n.hitv3sogw{container-type:inline-size;width:100%;max-width:970px;margin:0 auto;box-sizing:border-box}\r\n.hitv3soga{display:flex;flex-direction:row;align-items:center;justify-content:space-between;width:100%;box-sizing:border-box;text-decoration:none;color:#fff;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,system-ui,sans-serif;position:relative;overflow:hidden;cursor:pointer;background:linear-gradient(135deg,#111118 0%,#080808 100%);border:1.5px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.08);border-radius:14px;gap:20px;padding:20px 40px;transition:border-color .2s}\r\n.hitv3soga:hover{border-color:#dc262688}\r\n.hitv3sogg1{position:absolute;inset:0;background:radial-gradient(ellipse at 50% 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.hitv3sogbl{display:flex;align-self:center;text-align:left}\r\n  .hitv3sogbtn{width:100%;justify-content:center;padding:12px 20px}\r\n}\r\n\/* \u2500\u2500 Wide: >= 600px (leaderboard style) \u2500\u2500 *\/\r\n@container (min-width:600px){\r\n  .hitv3soga{min-height:90px}\r\n}\r\n<\/style><!-- HiT Land Banner \u2014 Container Query Responsive -->\r\n<div class=\"hitv3sogw\">\r\n<a class=\"hitv3soga\" href=\"https:\/\/hit.land\/services\/web-app-development\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" style=\"animation:hitv3sog-fadein 0.7s ease both;animation-delay:0s;\">\r\n  <div class=\"hitv3sogg1\" style=\"animation:hitv3sog-glow 3s ease-in-out infinite;\"><\/div>\r\n  <div class=\"hitv3sogg2\"><\/div>\r\n  <div class=\"hitv3soggl\" style=\"animation:hitv3sog-shimmer 3s ease-in-out infinite;\"><\/div>\r\n  \r\n  <div class=\"hitv3sogc\">\r\n    \r\n    <div style=\"display:inline-flex;align-self:flex-start;align-items:center;gap:6px;background:rgba(255,255,255,0.08);border:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.18);backdrop-filter:blur(8px);-webkit-backdrop-filter:blur(8px);border-radius:20px;padding:3px 10px 3px 7px;margin-bottom:clamp(5px,0.6vw,9px);animation:hitv3sog-badge 0.5s ease both;\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:6px;height:6px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size:clamp(8px,0.9vw,10px);font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.07em;color:rgba(255,255,255,0.88);text-transform:uppercase;white-space:nowrap;\">EXCLUSIVE OMAN OFFER<\/span><\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitv3sogh\" style=\"animation:hitv3sog-slideup 0.7s ease both;animation-delay:0.15s;\">Websites For <span style=\"color:#dc2626;\">Omani Businesses.<\/span><\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitv3sogs\" style=\"animation:hitv3sog-slideup 0.7s ease both;animation-delay:0.3s;\">Empower your brand with custom digital solutions designed for high conversion and market dominance.<\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitv3sogbl\"><div class=\"hitv3sogbi\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:5px;height:5px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;margin-right:7px;\"><\/span><span>Responsive designs built for growth<\/span><\/div><div class=\"hitv3sogbi\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:5px;height:5px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;margin-right:7px;\"><\/span><span>Fast loading with smart automation<\/span><\/div><\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  \r\n  <div class=\"hitv3sogct\">\r\n    <button class=\"hitv3sogbtn\" style=\"animation:hitv3sog-pulse 2.5s ease-in-out infinite;animation-delay:1s;\">Build Your Free Website <span style=\"opacity:.9;\">\u2192<\/span><\/button>\r\n    <div class=\"hitv3sogbr\">hit.land<\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/a>\r\n<\/div>\n<p>A Spanish court has ruled that Meta, the parent company of Facebook, must pay \u20ac552 million (approximately $552 million) to Spanish digital media outlets for engaging in unfair competition and violating European Union data protection regulations. This decision, announced by Madrid\u2019s Commercial Court on Thursday, affects 87 digital press publishers and news agencies.<\/p>\n<p>The court found that Meta gained an &#8220;undue competitive advantage&#8221; in Spain\u2019s online advertising market through the unlawful processing of user data on its platforms, Facebook and Instagram. Specifically, the ruling highlights Meta\u2019s use of personal data for behavioural advertising as the basis for the compensation.<\/p>\n<p>Meta has expressed its disagreement with the ruling and plans to appeal. A company spokesperson stated, &#8220;This is a baseless claim that lacks any evidence of alleged harm and willfully ignores how the online advertising industry works.&#8221; The spokesperson added that Meta complies with all relevant laws, providing users with transparent information, clear choices, and tools to control their experience on its services.<\/p>\n<p>The court determined that Meta\u2019s actions violated the EU\u2019s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which also constituted a breach of Spain\u2019s antitrust laws. The complaint, filed by the Spanish media outlets, centered on Meta\u2019s shift in the legal basis for processing personal data when GDPR came into effect in May 2018. Meta changed from relying on user consent to justifying data use as &#8220;necessary for the performance of a contract&#8221; to support behavioural advertising\u2014a position regulators later found insufficient.<\/p>\n<p>In August 2023, Meta reverted to using consent as its legal basis for data processing. The judge estimated that during the five years under scrutiny, Meta earned at least \u20ac5.3 billion in advertising profits, all treated as obtained in violation of GDPR rules.<\/p>\n<p>This case echoes a similar claim under review in France and follows a series of fines Meta has faced in Europe. Last year, the European Commission fined Meta nearly \u20ac800 million for forcing sellers on its Facebook Marketplace to abide by unfair trading conditions and for linking the service to the main Facebook social network.<\/p>\n<p>In Spain, ongoing scrutiny of Meta continues. The government, led by Prime Minister Pedro S\u00e1nchez, announced that a parliamentary committee will investigate allegations that Meta used a concealed mechanism to track the web activity of Android device users. Meta has pledged to cooperate with Spanish authorities on this matter.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Reuters<\/p>\n<p><style>\r\n@keyframes hitl8gak-fadein{from{opacity:0;transform:translateY(14px)}to{opacity:1;transform:translateY(0)}}\r\n@keyframes hitl8gak-slideup{from{opacity:0;transform:translateY(20px)}to{opacity:1;transform:translateY(0)}}\r\n@keyframes hitl8gak-pulse{0%,100%{box-shadow:0 0 14px #dc262688}50%{box-shadow:0 0 32px #dc2626,0 0 60px #dc262655}}\r\n@keyframes hitl8gak-shimmer{0%,100%{opacity:0.3;transform:scaleX(0.4)}50%{opacity:1;transform:scaleX(1)}}\r\n@keyframes hitl8gak-glow{0%,100%{opacity:0.6}50%{opacity:1}}\r\n@keyframes hitl8gak-badge{from{opacity:0;transform:scale(0.8)}to{opacity:1;transform:scale(1)}}\r\n<\/style><style>\r\n.hitl8gakw{container-type:inline-size;width:100%;max-width:970px;margin:0 auto;box-sizing:border-box}\r\n.hitl8gaka{display:flex;flex-direction:row;align-items:center;justify-content:space-between;width:100%;box-sizing:border-box;text-decoration:none;color:#fff;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,system-ui,sans-serif;position:relative;overflow:hidden;cursor:pointer;background:linear-gradient(135deg,#111118 0%,#080808 100%);border:1.5px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.08);border-radius:14px;gap:20px;padding:20px 40px;transition:border-color .2s}\r\n.hitl8gaka:hover{border-color:#dc262688}\r\n.hitl8gakg1{position:absolute;inset:0;background:radial-gradient(ellipse at 50% 0%,rgba(220,38,38,0.35),transparent 65%);pointer-events:none;z-index:0}\r\n.hitl8gakg2{position:absolute;bottom:0;left:0;right:0;height:45%;background:radial-gradient(ellipse at 50% 100%,rgba(220,38,38,0.15),transparent 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solid rgba(255,255,255,0.18);backdrop-filter:blur(8px);-webkit-backdrop-filter:blur(8px);border-radius:20px;padding:3px 10px 3px 7px;margin-bottom:clamp(5px,0.6vw,9px);animation:hitl8gak-badge 0.5s ease both;\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:6px;height:6px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size:clamp(8px,0.9vw,10px);font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.07em;color:rgba(255,255,255,0.88);text-transform:uppercase;white-space:nowrap;\">EXCLUSIVE OFFER<\/span><\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitl8gakh\" style=\"animation:hitl8gak-slideup 0.7s ease both;animation-delay:0.15s;\">Your Website <span style=\"color:#dc2626;\">Should Sell.<\/span><\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitl8gaks\" style=\"animation:hitl8gak-slideup 0.7s ease both;animation-delay:0.3s;\">Custom-built websites with smart automation & AI-powered features.<\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitl8gakbl\"><div class=\"hitl8gakbi\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:5px;height:5px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;margin-right:7px;\"><\/span><span>SEO-optimized & lightning fast<\/span><\/div><div class=\"hitl8gakbi\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:5px;height:5px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;margin-right:7px;\"><\/span><span>Smart features built for your business<\/span><\/div><\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  \r\n  <div class=\"hitl8gakct\">\r\n    <button class=\"hitl8gakbtn\" style=\"animation:hitl8gak-pulse 2.5s ease-in-out infinite;animation-delay:1s;\">Get Free Consultation <span style=\"opacity:.9;\">\u2192<\/span><\/button>\r\n    <div class=\"hitl8gakbr\">hit.land<\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/a>\r\n<\/div><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>Special Analysis by Omanet | Navigate Oman&#8217;s Market<\/p>\n<p>Meta\u2019s hefty $552 million fine in Spain for violating EU data protection and antitrust laws signals a <strong>tightening regulatory environment for global tech giants<\/strong>, emphasizing the rising power of data privacy frameworks. For businesses in Oman, this highlights the urgent need to <strong>prioritize transparent data practices and compliance with emerging international privacy standards<\/strong> to avoid legal and reputational risks. Smart investors and entrepreneurs should consider opportunities in <strong>privacy-focused technologies and services<\/strong>, as demand surges for solutions that help companies navigate complex data regulations effectively.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Spanish court ordered Meta to pay $552 million for unfair competition and violating EU data protection rules by using personal data for behavioral ads on Facebook and Instagram. Meta plans to appeal, denying any wrongdoing, while similar claims proceed in France.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6529,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[482],"tags":[2854,2832,2855],"class_list":["post-6528","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","tag-gdpr","tag-meta","tag-spain"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/3198527.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6528","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6528"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6528\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6530,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6528\/revisions\/6530"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6529"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6528"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6528"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6528"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}