Facebook and Instagram Threaten to Close Business in Europe

• Meta has issued an official warning, threatening to shut down Facebook and Instagram in Europe over a data-sharing dispute

• New legislation is being drawn up in Europe that will dictate the way that EU citizens data are transferred from Europe down to America

• The social media giant wants to shut down if it can’t keep transferring user data back to the United States

Meta has disclosed that it is considering shutting down Facebook and Instagram in Europe if the company won’t be able to transfer user data back to the United States.

The social media giant issued this warning during its annual report that was released last Thursday.
Regulators across Europe are currently developing new legislation that will control the way that EU citizens’ data is transferred from the continent across the Atlantic. In the statement in its annual report, the tech giant stated:

“If a new transatlantic data transfer framework is not adopted and we are unable 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.”

The company however added that taking that decision would affect the business, operation, and financial condition.

Read also: PayPal Founder Peter Thiel Leaves Facebook’s Meta Board

European lawmaker Axel Voss however responded via Twitter that the EU will not be blackmailed into giving up its data protection standards and if Meta leaves the US, it will be their loss.

The new European legislation is being drawn after the European Court of Justice ruled in 2020 that the data transfer standard between Europe and the U.S doesn’t protect the privacy of European citizens.

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