Meta Ordered to Pay $550 Million to Spanish Media for Data Privacy Violations and Unfair Competition

Nov 20, 2025 07:32 pm CST

A Spanish court has ordered Meta to pay $552 million plus $60 million in interest to 87 media outlets for gaining unfair competitive advantage by violating EU data protection rules. The landmark ruling follows AMI's lawsuit claiming Meta systematically broke privacy laws between 2018-2023, creating unfair competition in digital advertising. The case highlights growing global tensions between tech giants and traditional media over data usage and advertising practices.