German courts rule Meta's AI-driven data collection illegal, order damages
German regional courts ruled that Meta Platforms illegally collected personal data from Facebook and Instagram users without proper consent through its Meta Business Tools. Meta was ordered to pay damages and cease the unlawful processing, with approximately 10,000 lawsuits pending against the company in Germany.
What happened
The Oberlandesgericht (regional court) in Dresden ruled on 3 February that Meta Platforms illegally collected data from Facebook and Instagram users without proper consent using the Meta Business Tools, which are APIs that Meta offers to third-party websites and apps.
The Meta Business Tools collected personal data from website and app users and shared it with Meta without effective user consent, including from people without Meta accounts.
Reported impact
Users awarded €1,500 each in damages in the four Dresden proceedings, with Meta also ordered to cease further processing of personal data from Instagram users.
According to the court, the data collection caused users a sense of comprehensive surveillance due to loss of control over their personal data.
Index analysis
The Oberlandesgericht Naumburg later confirmed the illegal nature of Meta's data collection in two additional proceedings, also awarding four-figure damages.
Approximately 10,000 lawsuits against Meta remain pending in Germany, and lower courts in Saxony-Anhalt had previously ruled in Meta's favour but are expected to reverse their positions following the appellate decisions.
Governance controls
The Dresden court ruled that Meta must explicitly obtain user consent for this type of data collection, rejecting Meta's argument that users had already consented at signup.
The Dresden court declined to allow revision to the Federal Court of Justice, making the rulings final.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.