Facebook is facing a €250,000 (approximately $270,000 USD) fine per day if they do not stop tracking users across the Internet, a Belgian court has ruled.
Facebook can currently track Internet users outside of the social networking site due to the implementation of “like” and “share” buttons typically featured on external websites as plug-ins, which place a Datr cookie on the computer of those who access these sites, even if they do not have an account with the social network.
The Belgian court stated that Facebook was legally obligated to receive permission to continue using these cookies, which the company has utilized for the past five years. A statement from the court reads: “The judge ruled that this is personal data, which Facebook can only use if the internet user expressly gives their consent, as Belgian privacy law dictates.”
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The site claims that they use the Datr cookies in order “to keep Facebook safe” for its users, with them set to appeal the court’s decision that they must stop tracking Internet users within the next 48 hours. Facebook released a statement claiming that they will be launching the appeal in order to “minimise any disruption to people’s access to Facebook in Belgium.”
Richard Allan, Facebook’s Vice President of Policy for Europe, previously explained the reasoning behind the company’s use of cookies in a blog post, writing: “Cookies tell us when people are logged into Facebook. That’s why you don’t have to enter your name and password every time you visit, and so we can alert you in case someone else is trying to log in as you from an unknown computer.” However, Allan also conceded that “other cookies help make sure the ads you see are interesting and help us measure how effective they are,” confirming that Facebook is utilizing cookies in order to learn more its their users’ Internet browsing habits, and not just for security purposes.
[Via BBC News]
