Can you imagine Facebook and Instagram leaving Europe? It may surprise you, but that can happen. And it is that Meta confirmed that there is a possibility of this happening in its annual report to the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
But what would be the cause of the decision? Well, the way in which the changes that the European Union has made in the laws on the management of the data of the users of the social networks affect the Meta apps. If the parties do not reach an agreement, Facebook and Instagram will have to close in Europe . Stay on the web and find out what’s going on!
Instagram and Facebook may leave Europe if they can’t process Europeans’ data in the US
Reliable data management on the Internet is a key issue today. For this reason, governments want to regulate the way in which social networks request and manage user information.
Meta apps are at the center of this controversy . The reason for this is that on more than one occasion the transparency of these social networks has been questioned. The 5 facts about WhatsApp that will make you doubt its security can confirm the cause of this situation.
In turn, remember that the laws are not always compatible with Mark Zuckerberg’s business . And that is exactly what happens between Meta and the EU.
Consider that the data of Europeans on Facebook and Instagram was previously transferred to Meta servers in the United States. This was allowed because there was an agreement called the “Privacy Shield” .
However, this law was annulled in July 2020 . The reason for this? Well, the Privacy Shield did not comply with the rules of the General Data Protection Regulation of the European Union.
The second blow to Meta came from Ireland. The Data Protection Commission of this country analyzed the agreements that Meta uses to operate in the EU and send the data to the US. The Irish authorities concluded, in a preliminary way, that Meta’s contracts do not comply with the new laws of the European Union .
This caused Ireland to recommend to the EU that Europeans’ information on Facebook and Instagram be managed from the United States . This is not yet applied in practice. But everything indicates that the final court ruling will arrive in the first half of 2022.
Meta responds and threatens to leave the EU without Facebook and Instagram
Faced with the possibility that the door to transfer data from Europe to the US would be closed to Meta, the company went on the counterattack. To do this, those from Silicon Valley clarified in a report (in the document that we showed you at the beginning of the article) that it is very difficult to maintain their apps without the transfer of information to the headquarters in North America .
Similarly, Meta had this to say about the EU regulation :
“If a new transatlantic data transfer framework is not adopted and we are unable to continue to use PPAs or other alternative means of transferring data from Europe to the United States, we may not be able to offer a number of our most important products and services, such as Facebook and Instagram, in Europe, which would adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.”
There is no doubt that the company will have to find a way to adapt to the new laws in Europe . After all, remember that there are functions not available in Facebook and Instagram messages due to changes in the European Union regulation to social networks.
Now, will Meta give his arm to twist and do everything they ask of him in Europe? Well , we will have to wait to see how this story ends .
In any case, what is clear is that, despite the announcement of the metaverse and the change of Facebook’s name, the situation of Zuckerberg’s company has not improved much . You only need to see the way Meta collapses in the bag to realize this.
And you, what do you think of this controversy? Would it affect you that Facebook and Instagram close in Europe? Tell us in the comments .
