Spanish news agencies sue Meta for 'unfair competition'

(CLO) Meta Group, the company that owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, will go to court in Spain in October 2025 in a 551 million euro competition law violation lawsuit.

This is a lawsuit filed by more than 80 press and media organizations, accusing Meta of violating European Union (EU) competition law and data protection regulations. According to the announcement from the 15th Commercial Court in Madrid, the trial will take place over two days, October 1 and 2, 2025.

The Meta sign outside Meta's headquarters in Mountain View, California, US. Photo: REUTERS/Peter DaSilva

The Spanish Media Association (AMI), which represents 87 media outlets, filed the lawsuit in 2023. AMI alleged that between 2018 and 2023, Meta "massively and systematically used the personal data of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp users."

This, according to media companies, gives Meta an unfair advantage in designing and delivering personalized ads, hurting their advertising revenue.

Among the companies filing lawsuits are big names such as the Prisa group, which owns the El Pais newspaper, and Vocento, which owns the ABC newspaper.

Not only stopping at press organizations, last month, Spanish television and radio associations, UTECA and AERC, also filed a separate lawsuit against Meta, demanding 160 million euros in compensation.

Both lawsuits argue that Meta violates fair competition principles and unfairly uses content and data to increase advertising profits.

The lawsuit is part of a broader effort by traditional media organizations to challenge the dominance of Big Tech in both the courts and on the floor. Media companies argue that platforms like Meta should be paid fairly for using or sharing their content.

Not all efforts have been successful, however. In Canada and Australia, Meta has blocked users from sharing articles on its platform in response to similar regulations.

Meanwhile, Meta said it is reducing the presence of news and political content in users' feeds in many markets, asserting that news links now make up only a very small portion of the platform.

It would be one of the biggest cases involving competition and personal data protection in Europe, and mark a further escalation in tensions between traditional media companies and big tech corporations.

Cao Phong (according to Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/cac-hang-tin-tay-ban-nha-kien-meta-ra-toa-vi-canh-tranh-khong-lanh-manh-post323570.html