Spain will launch a probe into Meta Platforms (META) for the alleged privacy violation of millions of users who used the company’s social media apps, according to an official statement from the prime minister’s office on Wednesday.
Pedro Sánchez, the country’s prime minister, said the social media and tech giant will have to testify and provide answers to the Spanish government after a research study revealed that “a hidden mechanism” allowed web tracking of Android device users (GOOG) (GOOGL) for nearly a year.
Sánchez alleged that Meta collected web browser data of users through “silent spying” and linked it to their identity in Facebook and Instagram apps, even when browsing in incognito mode or on a VPN.
Spain believes Meta may have breached the EU bloc’s GDPR rules, the Digital Markets Act, and the Digital Services Act.
Sánchez also said Spain is taking measures to address issues like disinformation campaigns, protection of minors, combating hate speech, and social polarization in the digital space in the coming months.