by Dr. Patrick Grosmann, M.A.// I. Introduction In the data protection organization, the DPO plays a central role as an internal control body. At the same time, this central figure faces various potential conflicts of interest. Some conflicts (regarding the…
CJEU again confronted with Meta – Permissible extent of data use for advertising
by Dr. Gerald Trieb and Jennifer Salomon// The CJEU once again had to deal with questions concerning details on the processing of personal data on the social media platform Facebook. Meta collects data either on or outside the social media…
Instagram’s new Measures – preventive or pre-emptive?
by Sarah von Hoyningen-Huene, Jutta Oberlin// 1. Introduction Instagram, one of the world’s most popular social media platforms and part of the social media giant Meta, is constantly evolving to meet the changing needs of its users and adapt to…
Ireland’s Data Protection Commission Launches Inquiry into Google’s AI Model
by Matthias Horn// The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence products has brought with it a host of legal and ethical challenges. In a significant development, Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) has launched an inquiry into Google’s AI model, focusing on…
The European Court of Justice Upholds €2.42 Billion Fine Against Google
//by Matthias Horn Introduction The European Court of Justice (ECJ) recently decided to uphold a €2.42 billion fine imposed on Google by the European Commission for abusing its dominant market position in the Google Shopping case. This landmark decision reinforces…
TikTok’s Regulatory Challenges in Europe: The Suspension of the Lite Rewards Program
/by Matthias Horn The European Union has continued to assert its influence over the digital market. In a recent development, TikTok, one of the most popular social media platforms globally, agreed to suspend its “Lite Rewards” program across the EU. This move…
Digital Services Act – a way out of the disinformation crisis?
//Tahireh Panahi// In times of polycrisis, the EU is also experiencing a disinformation crisis, since state actors, troll armies, politicians, but also private individuals are deliberately spreading untrue factual claims on social media. Consequences are a loss of trust in…
Data-friendly AI systems
//by Klaus Meffert// Artificial intelligence (AI) has been on the rise since the launch of ChatGPT. The possibilities of new methods are enormous. Thanks to powerful hardware, especially graphics cards, computationally intensive electronic brains can now provide sophisticated answers in…
EDPB’s urgent binding decision regarding Meta – the end of behavioural advertising?
//by Katharina Kollmann// On 7 December 2023, the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) published its urgent binding decision regarding Meta of 27 October 2023, which had been eagerly awaited by European data protection experts. In this decision, the Irish data…
Revised Swiss Data Protection Act: What companies from the EU need to consider
//Annette Vogt Widmer// On 1 September 2023, Switzerland’s revised Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP) came into force together with its implementing provisions, the Data Protection Ordinance (DPO). What do the changes mean for companies and organizations from the EU?…