Facebook applies US conditions to users outside EU, US and Canada
Facebook makes a change to its terms and conditions, meaning that users outside the EU, the US and Canada no longer have an agreement with Facebook Ireland, but with the US branch of the company. As a result, American law is applicable instead of EU law.
Reuters writes that Facebook wants to prevent a large group of users, the news agency estimates that this is about 1.5 billion, under the regime of the general Data Protection Regulation, which applies to the EU from 25 May. Facebook confirms to Reuters that it is implementing the change, but claims that this has to do with ‘that EU law requires specific language use’ in the privacy policy. For example, the AVG would require certain legal terminology that does not exist in the US.
According to the news agency, Facebook opened an Irish office in 2008 to take advantage of the local tax environment. That is a practice that is also used by many other tech companies. Users within the EU continue to keep an agreement with that Irish establishment, which means the EU rules apply to them. Users outside the EU, the US and Canada have had an agreement with Facebook Ireland so far, but that is going to change. As a result, they fall under US law, which offers a different level of protection.
Privacy researcher Lukasz Oleijnik says to The Guardian : “This is a major and unprecedented change in the area of privacy. a reduction of the privacy guarantees and the rights of the users, with a number of consequences, especially for the consent requirements.It is clear that users will lose a number of existing rights, because the standards in the US are lower than those in Europe. “[19659003] Facebook tells Reuters that it intends to give all its users worldwide the same privacy settings and management options. This corresponds to the message that the social network revealed in the announcement of its privacy menu on Wednesday. That menu has developed it in response to the upcoming privacy regulation. Michael Veale, a researcher at London University College who criticizes Reuters critically about the action of Facebook, notes that the measures are only Facebook’s interpretation of the rules.
In a previous interview with Reuters said Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg that he would only apply protection from the AVG ‘in spirit’ worldwide, or only ‘the spirit’ of the legislation. Although Facebook is currently at the center of attention due to the Cambridge Analytica scandal, according to Reuters, other companies are taking similar action. It mentions LinkedIn as an example. That company responds: “We have simply streamlined the contract location so that users understand which LinkedIn branch is responsible for processing their data.”
According to the news agency, Facebook opened an Irish office in 2008 to take advantage of the local tax environment. That is a practice that is also used by many other tech companies. Users within the EU continue to keep an agreement with that Irish establishment, which means the EU rules apply to them. Users outside the EU, the US and Canada have had an agreement with Facebook Ireland so far, but that is going to change. As a result, they fall under US law, which offers a different level of protection.
Privacy researcher Lukasz Oleijnik says to The Guardian : “This is a major and unprecedented change in the area of privacy. a reduction of the privacy guarantees and the rights of the users, with a number of consequences, especially for the consent requirements.It is clear that users will lose a number of existing rights, because the standards in the US are lower than those in Europe. “[19659003] Facebook tells Reuters that it intends to give all its users worldwide the same privacy settings and management options. This corresponds to the message that the social network revealed in the announcement of its privacy menu on Wednesday. That menu has developed it in response to the upcoming privacy regulation. Michael Veale, a researcher at London University College who criticizes Reuters critically about the action of Facebook, notes that the measures are only Facebook’s interpretation of the rules.
In a previous interview with Reuters said Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg that he would only apply protection from the AVG ‘in spirit’ worldwide, or only ‘the spirit’ of the legislation. Although Facebook is currently at the center of attention due to the Cambridge Analytica scandal, according to Reuters, other companies are taking similar action. It mentions LinkedIn as an example. That company responds: “We have simply streamlined the contract location so that users understand which LinkedIn branch is responsible for processing their data.”