Facebook faces court battle over privacy

The Guardian, The Local Austria and other news sources reported on the 8-9 April 2015 that a class action lawsuit over alleged breaches of EU privacy law, mass surveillance and involvement in the US National Security Agency (NSA) Prism snooping programme had been filed against Facebook in Vienna.

The lawsuit was being spearheaded by 27-year-old Austrian law graduate and privacy campaigner Max Schrems.

In June 2015, Belgium's Commission for the protection of privacy announced it was taking Facebook to court, arguing that the way the social network website tracks the behaviour of both members and non-members is illegal under Belgian and European law.

On the 30 June 2015 the Austrian civil court rejected the class action case against Facebook for alleged privacy breaches, saying it lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter.

• Primary Source

The Guardian, 09.04.15: Class action privacy lawsuit filed against Facebook in Austria http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/apr/09/class-action-privacy-lawsuit-filed-against-facebook-in-austria

ESO: Background information: Mass Surveillance of IT users? http://www.europeansources.info/record/mass-surveillance-of-it-users/

ESO: Background information: What will it take to end mass surveillance in the EU? http://www.europeansources.info/record/what-will-it-take-to-end-mass-surveillance-in-the-eu/

Website: Europe v Facebook http://www.europe-v-facebook.org/EN/en.html

Europe v Facebook: Press Release, 08.04.15: First Hearing on 'Privacy Class Action' against Facebook http://www.europe-v-facebook.org/sk/PR_vbTS_en.pdf

BBC News, 09.04.15: Facebook faces class action suit over EU privacy laws http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-32229285

Deutsche Welle, 09.04.15: Class action lawsuit against Facebook to begin in Vienna http://dw.de/p/1F59I

EUObserver, 09.04.15: Facebook risks fresh trial in Austrian court https://euobserver.com/digital/128271

EurActiv, 09.04.15: Austrian activist spearheads class action suit against Facebook http://www.euractiv.com/sections/infosociety/austrian-activist-spearheads-class-action-against-facebook-313645

openDemocracy: openSecurity: Tag: Future under surveillance https://www.opendemocracy.net/opensecurity-projects/future-under-surveillance

The Conversation, 20.04.15: ‘Safe harbour’ court ruling could prevent US firms from reaching European users http://theconversation.com/safe-harbour-court-ruling-could-prevent-us-firms-from-reaching-european-users-39649

EUObserver, 15.06.15: Belgian privacy watchdog sues Facebook https://euobserver.com/digital/129110

Politico, 15.06.15: Facebook faces court over Belgian data tracking http://www.politico.eu/article/facebook-faces-court-over-belgian-data-tracking/

The Local.at, 01.07.15: Court throws out Facebook privacy case http://www.thelocal.at/20150701/austrian-court-rules-facebook-class-action-inadmissible

EUObserver, 03.12.15: Facebook blocks non-members in Belgium, accused of 'blackmail' https://euobserver.com/digital/131365

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