Fields:
Competition and Data Protection Law, Information Technologies Law, Consumer Protection Law
European Court of Justice is the main judicial body of the European Union which was established in 1952. The Court has a main task of ensuring the application and interpretation of a unified European Union law in each Member State. The Court can hear applications for a preliminary ruling, annulments, cases concerning the Member States, or the institutions of the European Union and disputes referred by the courts of Member States to a higher institution.
In the Meta Platforms case, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled on allegations of abuse of dominance by Meta, formerly Facebook. Meta was accused of forcing users to consent to the amalgamation of their personal data from various sources to use the Facebook social network. The German Federal Cartel Office found that Meta lacked a valid legal basis under the GDPR, constituting an exploitative abuse under German Competition Law. The ruling of CJEU not only affirmed the authority of competition authorities to identify data protection violations in cases of abuse of dominance, but also emphasized the importance of data protection standards in interpreting competition rules. The decision establishes a framework for coordination between competition and data protection authorities, offering guidance on assessing the legality of personal data processing by powerful firms. This year participants of MCJ with the Meta Platforms case under CJEU judgement are expected to underscore the need for collaboration in addressing complex issues at the intersection of competition and data protection law, with implications for competition law, information technologies law, consumer protection law, and private international law.
SDGs:
