Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has allegedly threatened to pull Facebook and Instagram from Europe. The reason for this threat is EU's user data privacy laws that don't allow Meta to transfer user data back to the US.
In a report released on February 3, the company said, "If a new transatlantic data transfer framework is not adopted and we are unable to continue to rely on SCCs (standard contractual clauses) or rely upon other alternative means of data transfers from Europe to the United States, we will likely be unable to offer a number of our most significant products and services, including Facebook and Instagram, in Europe."
Photo: Getty Images
European lawmaker Axel Voss tweeted, "META cannot just blackmail the EU into giving up its data protection standards, leaving the EU would be their loss."
I have always called for an alternative to the EU US #privacyshield to find a balanced agreement on data exchange + always called for #GDPR flexibility. However, #META cannot just blackmail the EU into giving up its data protection standards, leaving the EU would be their loss.
— Axel Voss MdEP (@AxelVossMdEP) February 7, 2022
A Meta spokesperson clarified the statement on the report to CNBC on February 7 that the company was not threatening and did not have plans to pull Facebook and Instagram from Europe.
In July 2020, the European Court of Justice ruled that companies that were moving user data outside the European Union, would have to provide the same protections to the data that is given inside the European bloc to whichever jurisdiction it was moving to. This ruling came after privacy activist Max Schrems lauched a lawsuit with the Irish Data Protection Commissioner in 2013 against companies transferring personal user data to other countries.
Max argued in court that based on what whistleblower Edward Snowden had revealed, US law did not sufficiently protect citizens against surveillance by public authorities. At the time, Max also raised the complaint against Facebook for the same reason. This forced Facebook to move to Standard Contractual Clauses or SCCs.
But given Facebook's history of using user data for ads and its lawless sharing of fake news, Europeans are quite happy about the so-called threat, to the point that some have been praying for it to come true.
Here is what all of Europe truly feels over this 'threat':
1.
Meta is threatening to leave Europe! ?? Don’t let the door hit you on the way out ?? https://t.co/zSyBSaRTKd
— Laura Evans (@lauraevans2021) February 7, 2022
2.
Meta is threatening to shut down Instagram and Facebook in Europe, if they are not given the option to transfer, store, and process data from its European users on their US-based servers (by European Union)Well, that's hilarious, as they need Europe more than Europe needs them.
— Alvin (@sondesix) February 7, 2022
3.
ROFLAs if Meta could afford losing all Europe revenue. https://t.co/I2scM7ddkp
— JFPuget ?? ? ??? (@JFPuget) February 6, 2022
4.
WELL GEE MARK I GUESS SENSORING DOES COST MORE THAN YOUR MOUTH COULD HANDLE --- GOOD FOR YOU BOY ..Meta Warns That Europe Could Lose Facebook, Instagram https://t.co/4sBc90I3Bu
— Douglas A Cox Sr. (@DouglasACoxSr1) February 8, 2022
5.
Good morning you lovely lot! I hope you're all well. I see that Facebook, sorry, 'Meta, is planning to shut down operations in Europe if it can't store data in the US, I'm not sure if this 'threat' will have the effect that Mark Zuckerberg thinks it will. Have a lovely one.
— Joe ?? #RightToLove #Disabled #FBPE #FBRTL (@BlokeOnWheels) February 7, 2022
6.
Europe ?? when Meta pulls Facebook and Instagram ... ❤️????????️?? pic.twitter.com/sHrDibNUPa
— Jonas Karlsen Åstrøm | ????∞ (@jonasaa) February 7, 2022
7.
#Meta threatens to pull #Facebook and #Instagram from Europe.Europeans: pic.twitter.com/2QaWjavzxl
— Johannes (@JohannesTaika) February 7, 2022
8.
Me slayin the #Facebook / #Meta Europe killswitch button! pic.twitter.com/BbfROG0Vf2
— Gjana Khan (@GjanaKhan) February 7, 2022
9.
“Meta threatens to shut down Facebook in Europe”Europeans: Is that a threat or a promise?
— Armchair Philosopher (@ApeToAristotle) February 6, 2022
10.
Meta threatening to remove FB and Instagram from Europe? I feel like this gif was MADE for this occasion. pic.twitter.com/dVOEFgzmfI
— Jems (@jems00) February 7, 2022
It is possible to imagine that a company like Meta is surely going to run into more future problems in Europe, especially if it decides to continue staying in a continent that truly values its citizen's privacy and autonomy.