Public statement by social network user about sexual orientation means data is public but that does not mean it can be used for personalised advertising

The Advocate General has delivered his opinion in Case C-446/21 | Schrems. In 2018, Meta Platforms Ireland started using new Facebook terms of service in the EU. Consent to those terms is required to sign up for, or access, Facebook’s accounts and services. Mr Maximilian Schrems (S) a Facebook user and well-known activist in the…

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This Week’s Techlaw News Round-up

UK law ICO issues reprimand to housing association for exposing personal information on online portal The ICO has issued a reprimand to Clyde Valley Housing Association in Lanarkshire after personal information was accessible to other residents on an online customer portal. Residents could access documents related to anti-social behaviour cases and view personal information about…

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European Parliament agrees position on strengthening the enforcement of data protection rules

The European Parliament has adopted its position on new procedural rules for the enforcement of the GDPR, which is enforced by independent national data protection authorities. However, the European Parliament has expressed its concern about “the uneven and sometimes non-existent enforcement of the GDPR by national data protection authorities”. It said that lengthy procedures can…

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European Commission opens proceedings against TikTok regarding Tiktok Lite

Last year, the European Commission designated TikTok as a Very Large Online Platform under the Digital Services Act. TikTok Lite is a new app which has been launched in France and Spain and is aimed at users aged 18+.  It includes the “Task and Reward Program”, which allows users to earn points while performing certain…

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CMA seeks views on AI partnerships and other arrangements

The Competition and Markets Authority has opened invitations to comment (ITCs) regarding certain AI partnerships. They are asking for comments about the partnerships between: and if they fall within UK merger rules and the impact that these arrangements could have on competition in the UK.  The ITCs are being issued ahead of launching formal Phase…

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EDPB issues opinion saying that “consent or pay” models should offer real choice

The European Data Protection Board has adopted an Opinion following a request made under Article 64(2) of the GDPR by the Dutch, Norwegian and Hamburg data protection authorities. The Opinion addresses the validity of consent to process personal data for the purposes of behavioural advertising in the context of ‘consent or pay’ models deployed by…

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House of Commons Culture Sport and Media Committee issues inquiry report

The House of Commons Culture Sport and Media Select Committee has published its report into creator remuneration. The report points out that despite although the UK creative industries are important and enjoy global success, professional creators are struggling to make a living. Many people in the sector experience precarious rates of pay, employment conditions and…

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Amazon’s request to suspend its obligation to make an advertisement repository publicly available is rejected

The Vice President of the Court of Justice has ruled in Case C-639/23 P(R) European Commission v Amazon Services Europe Sàrl. In April 2023 the Commission adopted a decision under the Digital Services Act which designated Amazon Store as a very large online platform. Among other things, this meant that Amazon Store is obliged to…

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