for Three years, the Federal cartel office has examined, now the result is there: Because from the point of view of the authority Facebook his market power abuse, to get the group to adopt stricter rules when collecting data.
Especially the anti-monopoly office that Facebook collects data from users that come directly from the Social network. Each Time a Facebook user visits a Website, a “Like”Button, know Facebook know about this – even if not a “Like” is given.
The business model of the social network is to collect such data. They are the currency in the world of Social Media. The result are ads tailored to the individual user, Facebook can sell.
As decided by the Federal cartel office now, should bring together the group of data from various sources such as the Messenger service Whatsapp and the photo-platform Instagram, in the future only with the consent of the user.
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dominance
First of all, had checked in the office, Facebook had a dominant position in Germany. The data are clear: In December of 2018, the network had a worldwide hit 1.52 billion daily users. In Germany, too, is Facebook heavily, there are 23 million people who are daily in the network. After calculation of the cartel office, which corresponds to a market share of 95 percent.
This is in a dominant position, and now argues the Bonn-based authority in its explanatory Memorandum to the cartel decision. The Budgets of advertising customers would have moved long way from traditional media to Facebook and other. Therefore, we have compared Facebook, especially with providers such as LinkedIn or Snapchat, but this be tailored to different needs. Google+ could not beat Facebook, and was set.
limitation of the data from third-party sites
What does the decision mean? Facebook may continue to collect data about its belonging to the group services such as Whatsapp and Instagram. However, a mapping of the data to the user’s account in Facebook is only with the voluntary consent of the user. The User gives his consent, the data should stay with the other services and may not be combined with Facebook data to be processed.
the same applies to data generated through third-party sites. “The combination of data sources has contributed significantly to Facebook was able to reach a unique overall data about each individual user to create and market power,” said Andreas Mundt, President of the Federal cartel office. He warns: By the combination of data of different pages, get Facebook an accurate profile of its users.
so Far, the users have no choice
“A mandatory tick in the consent to the terms and conditions of the company in the face of the overwhelming market power of the firm is not a sufficient basis for such intensive data processing.” The user would have no choice – either he agree with the data merge, or waivers of the world’s largest social network.
the decision of The cartel office is not yet final. Facebook has already announced that an appeal against the decision. The social network is defending himself against the charge, to be dominant in the market in Germany. There is a tough competition with other services, such as YouTube, Snapchat and Twitter, according to a company statement. The size and popularity of a company to justify any special requirements. Requirements for the data protection regulation had been implemented and the User could check the settings for the protection of your data.
say That data protection
The Federal privacy Commissioner Ulrich Kelber welcomed the decision of the Federal cartel office. The business model of Facebook is contrary in several points with the data protection legislation. “Just the fact that the consent processing as an essential basis for most of the Data to the specifications of the DSGVO match, I have criticized several times already,” he said.
this is a Totally different digital Association Bitkom said. Once more the attempt had been made to regulate a large platform, what users have mainly a negative impact on other, smaller companies, publishers, bloggers, and Internet. “The company of the Facebook group the benefit of the Like button rather than the many operators of websites that make their offers with the Like button, known to a wide Public,” said managing Director Bernhard Rohleder said in a statement.
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Federal cartel office decides Facebook Has too much Power?
Marie Zahout
the aim of the data protection regulation, the same Standards for the whole of the EU. The Federal cartel office have ignored the EU-wide exchange of data protection Supervisory authorities with his actions. The US think-tank ITIF warns even that German Internet users might be excluded in the case of a too strict regulation of big Internet companies of the future innovations.
