Facebook will have to seek permissions for personalised ads in the EU

(Representative Image)

Facebook will need to ask for permission from users before delivering personalised ads in the EU region.

The Meta-owned social media platform is already fighting a legal battle over a 390 million euro fine by Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) for forcing users to accept the platform's data collection policies to sign up for the company's social media services including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.

It was also hit with a record $1.3 billion fine by the DPC over how it collected that data, specifically personal data that was transferred to US-based servers since 2020.

In response, Meta has said that it intends to appeal both decisions, and is, "disappointed to have been singled out". It also called the rulings, "flawed" and "unjustified" arguing that it set a, "dangerous precedent" for other companies.

The new ruling says that Meta will have to seek explicit permission and users will have to opt-in for data collection for personalized ads. The court said that personalized ads cannot justify the data collection from users, even to use just basic features of its platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Meta.

In a statement shared with The Wall Street Journal, a Meta spokesperson said the company is, "evaluating the court's decision", and will share more in the future.