German consumer watchdogs sue Facebook
According to its own statements, the Federal Association of Consumer Organizations (VZBV) has filed a lawsuit against Facebook for alleged violations of data protection and consumer protection laws.
A spokeswoman for the association confirmed a corresponding advance report by the news magazine Der Spiegel on Friday. According to the report, the consumer advocates are taking issue with the company's default settings and advertising promises, among other things, in the lawsuit filed with the Berlin Regional Court. The claim that the service is free of charge is misleading. Facebook earns money by analyzing user data and allowing other companies to serve personalized advertising. In addition, 19 clauses of the data policy and the terms of use are illegal, such as the requirement to use a clear name or a clause on data transfer to the USA. On request, Facebook referred to a statement from February. In it, the U.S. company expressed surprise that the VZBV focuses on guidelines and functions that have been used by Facebook and other online services for ten years. These include the need to use the real name, it said. A spokeswoman for the regional court could neither confirm nor deny receipt of the complaint. (SDA)
