Meta hasn’t adjusted Facebook and Instagram's timelines despite an order from the Amsterdam Court. The Menlo Park-based tech company says it needs more time to make modifications. The court will decide Meta’s fate next week.
Algorithms determine what posts are displayed on a user’s Facebook or Instagram feed and in what order. This can be challenging for users who want more control over their timeline.
Not only is this option well hidden, but it also doesn’t store a user’s choice. For that reason, the Dutch civil rights movement “Bits of Freedom” is suing Meta.
Earlier this month, the Amsterdam Court ruled that Meta is violating European privacy laws with its current practices.
In a summary proceeding, the judge established that “a non-persistent choice option for a recommendation system runs counter to the purpose of the DSA, which is to give users genuine autonomy, freedom of choice, and control over how information is presented to them.” This constitutes “a significant disruption of the autonomy of Facebook and Instagram users.”
The court ordered Meta to modify its apps within two weeks. If Meta failed to comply, it would have to pay a penalty of €100,000 per day, up to a maximum of €5 million.
Over two weeks have passed, and Meta still hasn’t modified its Facebook and Instagram apps. The company now claims that it’s impossible to make these changes in such a short time, so it’s asking the court for an extension until January 31st, 2026.
Bits of Freedom isn’t happy and argues that this is yet another example of Meta avoiding its social responsibility.
“The legislator wants it, experts say it can be done, and the court says it must be done. Yet Meta fails to bring its platforms into line with our legislation,” Evelyn Austin, Director of Bits of Freedom, said in a statement.
“It’s an affront to our democratic constitutional state and the administration of justice. Scandalous, but unfortunately no different from what we have come to expect from Meta,” she adds.
The Amsterdam Court of Appeal will consider Meta’s request on Monday, October 27th.
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