Facebook is spying on people around the world ‘just like America’s NSA’ says data protection watchdog during court hearing in Belgium where the company is accused of violating privacy laws
Belgian Privacy Commission has brought a lawsuit against social network
It has accused Facebook of ‘trampling all over European privacy laws’
Facebook has repeatedly denied claims made by the commission
By JENNY STANTON
DailyMail.com
22 September 2015
Facebook has been accused of spying on users in a fashion similar to methods used by America’s National Security Agency (NSA).
The Belgian Privacy Commission has brought a lawsuit against the social network, after accusing it of ‘trampling all over European privacy laws’.
Frederic Debussere, a lawyer representing the privacy commission, made the comparison with the NSA during opening statements.
The Guardian reports that Mr Debussere, referring to NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden’s revalations, told a Belgian court at a hearing in Brussels on Monday: ‘When it became known that the NSA was spying on people all around the world, everybody was upset.
‘This actor [Facebook] is doing the very same thing, albeit in a different way.’
The data protection authority, which accuses Facebook of tracking non-users and those who have logged out of their accounts for advertising purposes, is threatening Facebook with a fine of 250,000 euros each day.
In May, the commission accused the social network of tracking people online without consent while dodging questions from national regulators.
The commission published a report analysing changes the company made to its privacy policy in January and said: ‘Facebook tramples on European and Belgian privacy laws’.
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