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  • AI training platform Outlier illegally surveils European platform workers

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    Online & Mobile tracking
    noyb has filed 5 GDPR complaints against Scale AI, which operates the AI training platform Outlier
    … Its  best-known customers are  corporations such as Meta, OpenAI, xAI, Google, Anthropic,  and the US government … more than 900,000 “freelance” workers. Among its customers: Meta, OpenAI, Google – and the US government. However, it's …
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  • AI: EU Member States approve “digital expropriation” for AI companies

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    GDPR Policy
    On Wednesday, EU Member States passed a highly controversial change to the GDPR, creating massive loopholes for AI
    … data is safe and, at best, is used for ads. Now, Google, Meta and Microsoft can just use all the data they've … the profit-making interests of OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta and SpaceX over European's fundamental right to data …
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  • Annual Report 2025 out now!

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    In 2025, noyb filed 21 new GDPR complaints, launched its first collective redress project and worked on the EU Commission’s Digital Omnibus package
    … against OpenAI and has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Meta over AI training. While many details are still unclear, … Commission (DPC) must investigate a noyb complaint against Meta that had already been filed in 2018. The case ended up … in December 2025, the Austrian Supreme Court ruled that Meta must disclose all personal data it has on its users and …
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  • Privacy win: Norwegian Authority fines Microsoft’s Xandr € 8.5 Million

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    Online & Mobile tracking
    In 2020, noyb has filed a complaint against the online advertising company Xandr for processing personal data from the dating app Grindr. This decision is a major blow to the online adtech industry.
    … be unleashed. Companies such as Microsoft’s Xandr, Google, Meta , Apple , Amazon, Criteo , Grindr and others could then …
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  • EU Member States (and Google) suddenly want to keep cookie banners!

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    GDPR Policy
    The EU Commission proposed a solution to get rid of cookie banners. Some Member States are now working against it, despite requests for simplification
    … is a fundamental right to data protection – including on Meta’s or Google’s platforms, as well as on websites full of … outlets in particular – and to withhold it from Google, Meta and the like. Google conveniently ‘overlooks’ this. …
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  • Austrian Supreme Court: Meta must give users full access to their data

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    Online & Mobile tracking
    The Austrian Supreme Court has issued a ruling in an 11-years long procedure against Meta
    … & other information within 14 days.  Under Article 15 GDPR, Meta must provide not just a full 1:1 copy of all personal … has tried to get full access to his personal data, but Meta only provided partial access. For average users, Meta only referred to a “download tool” that contained what …
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  • EU-US Data Transfers: Time to prepare for more trouble to come

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    Data Transfers
    As instability in the US legal system becomes undeniable and the US shows open signs of hostility towards the EU, it is time to reconsider where our data is flowing
    … (Dustin Carmack) is now the new “Republican” lobbyist of Meta – a company that relies on EO 14.086 to justify its …
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  • Digital Omnibus: EU Commission wants to wreck core GDPR principles

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    GDPR Policy
    The EU Commission has published its proposal for the "Digital Omnibus". The planned changes to the GDPR would lower protections for Europeans
    … devices for (tiny) security purposes. (3) AI Training of Meta or Google with EU's Personal Data?  When Meta or LinkedIn started using social media data, it was … study for example  only 7% of Germans say that they want Meta to use their personal data to train AI . Nevertheless, …
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  • EU Commission internal draft would wreck core principles of the GDPR

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    GDPR Policy
    The EU Commission has secretly set in motion a potentially massive reform of the GDPR. noybs first overview of the proposed changes.
    … study, however, only 7% of Germans say that they want Meta to use their personal data to train AI . Nevertheless, … that are now valued in Trillions (like OpenAI, Google, Meta, Amazon or Microsoft). While there are some … for which these rights can be exercised. (3) Google, Meta and OpenAI can now train AI with your data. The …
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  • Criminal complaint against facial recognition company Clearview AI

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    Biometric Data
    Clearview AI is known for scraping billions of photos of people around the world on the internet – and selling its facial recognition system to law enforcement and state actors
    … links, the name of a subpage of a website and other meta data. The company originally tried to operate largely …
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  • Pay or Okay report: how companies make you pay for privacy

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    So-called ‘Pay or Okay’ systems are on the rise in Europe. First introduced by newspapers in Austria and Germany, Meta adopted the approach for Instagram and Facebook in 2023. By now, many websites across Europe are using similar systems. Instead of giving users a genuine choice whether to accept or reject ad tracking, ‘Pay or Okay’ systems ask for a payment if you want to refuse “consent”. This leads to “North Korean consent rates” of 99.9%. Many news companies claim that the approach is necessary to finance quality media. In reality, digital advertising makes up at best 10% of the revenue of European press. Given the upcoming guidelines by the EDPB on this topic, this report analyses the industry’s arguments and the actual economic impact of ‘Pay or Okay’.

    … From Newspapers to Meta. In November 2023, Meta introduced a paid subscription for Instagram and … Court of Justice (CJEU) ruling in July 2023, which declared Meta's handling of user data illegal. Now, instead of asking … First introduced by newspapers in Austria and Germany, Meta adopted the approach for Instagram and Facebook in …
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  • Former Meta lobbyist named DPC Commissioner: Meta now officially regulates itself

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    National Administrative Procedures and DPA inactivity
    According to reports in the Irish news, Niamh Sweeney, a former senior Meta lobbyist, is set to join the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) as a commissioner in October
    … at the DPC to a US Big Tech lobbyist that defended Meta in a time where it was involved in the "Cambridge … These cases are right now on appeal between the DPC and Meta – where Mrs Sweeney will now switch from defending Meta to managing the regulator that pursues these cases. Max …
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  • noyb survey: only 7% of users want Meta to use their personal data for AI

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    Artificial Intelligence
    While almost 75% of users heard of Meta’s plans, only 7% actually want their data to be used for AI training
    … Full study on Meta AI - Perspective of those affected (EN) Table … Almost no one wants their data to be used to train Meta AI.  Instead of asking users for consent under Article 6(1)(a) GDPR, Meta chose a steamroller approach to training its AI systems … Meta made sure that less than 50% of users saw warnings. …
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  • Annual Report 2024 out now!

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    Our achievements in 2024 prove once again that we can make an impact: In addition to filing 36 new complaints, we also obtained a number of new decisions from authorities and a CJEU ruling
    … cases in 2024 are noyb’s  first complaints against Meta’s and Twitter’s (X) plan to unlawfully take the … to train their AI systems. We filed 11 complaints against Meta in June 2024, resulting in a pause of the training … its ruling C-446/21) fully backed a lawsuit brought against Meta over its Facebook service. The CJEU decided on two …
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  • noyb's Pay or Okay report: how companies make you pay for privacy

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    Forced Consent & Consent Bypass
    this report analyses the industry’s arguments and the actual economic impact of ‘Pay or Okay’
    … From Newspapers to Meta. In November 2023, Meta introduced a paid subscription for Instagram and … Court of Justice (CJEU) ruling in July 2023, which declared Meta's handling of user data illegal. Now, instead of asking … First introduced by newspapers in Austria and Germany, Meta adopted the approach for Instagram and Facebook in …
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