The Austrian data protection authority has classified the tracking technology of the Facebook parent company Meta as illegal. The tracking pixel violates GDPR regulations.

The Austrian data protection authority has determined that Meta’s tracking technology violates GDPR regulations. The panel follows the argumentation of Noyb’s privacy advocates. On the other hand, they have filed a complaint tracking pixelsTechnology by Meta. It would collect and process sensitive data on American servers. Meta continued to use the technology even after both Court Schrems rulings ruled that the practice was essentially illegal.

Not above the law

Meta itself has long believed that it interprets European law more correctly than the European courts, but the data protection authority in Austria has not listened. The decision relates to a complaint by Noyb against an Austrian website that uses a meta-tracking pixel, but has far-reaching consequences. Finally, the different authorities of the member states have to coordinate their decisions, which implies that the Austrian judgment is a precedent for all websites in the EU that use a meta-tracking pixel.

That it’s about business is clear from the fate of Google Analytics. After a series of complaints, again from Noyb, Analytics was also found illegal and Google had to review the service. There, too, the first decision came from Austria, although other data protection authorities soon followed.

In this case, all European websites with a tracking cookie from Meta can take note of the decision. It is only a matter of time before similar judgments follow in other member states: the technology in its current form is de facto illegal in the EU.