Madrid Court Fines Meta €479 Million for Unfair Competition via Data Misuse
Meta has been fined €479 million by a Madrid court for unfair competition through improper use of user data affecting Spanish digital publishers.
- • Madrid court orders Meta to pay €479 million for unfair competition.
- • Meta used user data without consent from 2018 to 2023, violating GDPR.
- • The lawsuit was initiated by the Association of Information Media (AMI).
- • Meta gained significant competitive advertising advantages through data misuse.
Key details
In a landmark ruling on November 20, 2025, a Madrid court has ordered Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, to pay €479 million to a group of 87 Spanish digital publishers and news agencies for engaging in unfair competition by misusing user data.
The lawsuit, primarily driven by the Association of Information Media (AMI), found that Meta utilized user data without proper consent from 2018 to 2023 to create individualized advertising profiles. This practice violated European data protection laws, specifically the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and gave Meta a significant competitive advertising advantage over Spanish media outlets that complied with legal standards.
The court emphasized that Meta's actions led to substantial profits at the expense of local digital publishers, undermining fair market competition. By advertising heavily on its own platforms with data derived without consent, Meta gained an unfair edge that distorted the competitive landscape for advertising revenue in Spain.
This ruling holds considerable significance as it enforces stringent data protection norms and underscores the regulatory scrutiny on major tech firms operating in Europe. The €479 million fine marks one of the largest penalties imposed on Meta for violations tied to user data misuse in Spain.
The decision is expected to have implications for how international digital platforms handle user data and compete in the Spanish digital advertising market, potentially impacting their operational and compliance strategies moving forward.
This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.