Meta, the company behind platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, has been ordered by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) to stop targeting users based on their sexual orientation. This decision marks a significant step in the battle for online privacy rights, especially for those in the LGBTQ+ community.
The ruling stems from a lawsuit initiated by Max Schrems, a gay Austrian lawyer and privacy advocate, who argued that Meta had been using his sexual orientation for ad targeting without his consent. Schrems contended that the company was violating the EU’s stringent data protection regulations. While Meta denied these allegations, the court sided with Schrems, stating that even if a person discloses their sexual orientation publicly, it does not give platforms like Meta the right to use that information for targeted advertising.
The EU court’s decision overturns a lower Austrian court’s ruling, which had previously allowed Meta to target Schrems with ads based on his sexuality. The court emphasized that this practice goes against data protection laws, underscoring the importance of consent in how personal information is used online.
For the LGBTQ+ community, this ruling has far-reaching implications. Social media platforms have often been criticized for failing to protect LGBTQ+ users from exploitation and targeted harassment. With this court decision, there is hope that companies will be held to higher standards of accountability when it comes to protecting personal data, ensuring that the community’s privacy is safeguarded online.
Meta has faced significant criticism in recent years, particularly from LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, for its handling of hate speech and failure to moderate harmful content on its platforms. This ruling further emphasizes the need for Meta and other tech companies to rethink their approach to both privacy and community safety.