EU lawmakers bar Meta from running advertisements based on personal data

Members of the European Parliament finalized a sweeping set of rules Wednesday aimed at limiting the vast troves of personal data that Big Tech companies like Meta and Google collect and leverage for ad targeting.<br><br>The new measures comprise part of the EU’s Digital Services Act, which aims to rein in the societal impact of social media platforms and to force transparency and accountability on what previously were “black box” systems for the average consumer.<br><br>The lawmakers have also barred companies from using data about minors to target advertisements.<br><br>The new measures have been hailed as an extraordinary win for consumer and digital rights advocates who say the digital ad industry has run amok and trampled user privacy in its pursuit of profit.<br><br>The bill will now be sent to the European Council, where the 27 member states will vote on the bill. If they approve it, the companies will have 18 months to adapt before the rules come into force.<br><br>REUTERS