Dutch Court Orders Meta to Offer Non-Algorithmic Feed Option on Facebook and Instagram
A Dutch court has ordered Meta to offer Facebook and Instagram users in the Netherlands a non-algorithmic feed option. The company must comply within two weeks, facing potential daily fines of up to €100,000, capped at €5 million.
Meta has been ordered to provide users with a choice of timeline, such as chronological order, and retain their preferences. This comes after a lawsuit filed by the Dutch organization 'Bits of Freedom' against Meta's data practices. The case was initiated before the Dutch elections on October 29, 20XX, to ensure data privacy issues were addressed during the electoral period.
The court ruled that Meta's current practices, which reset user preferences to an algorithmic feed whenever the app is closed or a different section is accessed, infringe the EU's Digital Services Act. The court argued that this does not empower users to make autonomous choices about profiled recommendation systems. Meta disagrees with the decision and plans to appeal, stating that the matter should be handled by the European Commission.
Meta has been given two weeks to comply with the Dutch court order, providing Facebook and Instagram users in the Netherlands with a non-algorithmic feed option. Failure to do so may result in significant fines. The case highlights ongoing debates about user control and data privacy in the digital age.
