Spain's data protection watchdog, the Agencia Española de Protección de Datos (AEPD), has recently ordered the provisional suspension of two new tools by Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, due to concerns over potential data privacy violations.

Spain Data Watchdog Blocks Meta's Election Tools

Reuters reports that these tools, named "Election Day Information" (EDI) and "Voter Information Unit" (VIU), were set to be deployed on Meta's social media platforms for the upcoming European elections.

The AEPD's decision came on Friday, May 31, stressing significant privacy concerns under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The watchdog claimed that the tools might breach fundamental data protection principles, including lawfulness, data minimization, and limitation of the retention period.

Meta planned to use EDI and VIU to inform eligible voters about the upcoming elections. A Meta spokesperson defended the tools, explaining that their election tools are designed to respect users' privacy and comply with the GDPR. Despite disagreeing with the AEPD's assessment in this case, Meta has cooperated with their request.

The AEPD's primary concern revolves around how Meta planned to identify eligible voters. The company proposed using data from users' profiles, such as their city of residence and IP addresses.

However, the watchdog argued that this approach was "unnecessary, disproportionate, and excessive." It noted that this method could exclude EU citizens living abroad and include non-EU citizens residing in Europe.

Additionally, the collection of users' ages was seen as problematic due to the unreliable nature of self-reported data, and the processing of interaction data was deemed disproportionate, a violation of Spanish data protection regulations.

Moreover, the AEPD criticized Meta for not justifying the need to store this data after the elections, suggesting an additional purpose for the data processing operation. This lack of transparency has added to the watchdog's concerns.

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(Photo : KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images)

A photo taken on April 3, 2024 shows the logo of US online social media and social networking service Facebook on a smartphone screen in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany.

EU Launches Election Misinformation Probe on Meta

This suspension is part of a broader context of heightened scrutiny over Meta's handling of election-related information. Earlier this year, the European Union launched an investigation into Meta over its efforts to combat election disinformation.

The European Commission is examining whether Meta has violated the Digital Services Act (DSA), a comprehensive set of regulations aimed at safeguarding internet users and ensuring the integrity of social media platforms. Non-compliance with the DSA could result in fines of up to 6% of Meta's annual revenue.

European Commissioner Thierry Breton has stated that Meta is under investigation for potential failures to prevent the spread of "deceptive advertisements, disinformation campaigns, and coordinated inauthentic behavior" that could undermine electoral processes and consumer rights.

The concern extends to the potential misuse of generative AI technologies to create deepfakes and other forms of disinformation, which could be exploited by malicious entities to interfere with elections.

In a recent effort to address such issues, Meta removed hundreds of Facebook accounts associated with six covert influence operations from countries including China, Iran, and Israel. These operations used AI-generated content to manipulate public opinion and promote specific political agendas.

The June elections will see citizens from the EU's 27 member states elect lawmakers to the European Parliament. With rising concerns about election integrity and foreign influence, authorities are intensifying efforts to protect the electoral process.

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