The Dutch government has warned that it may stop using Facebook Pages before the summer due to data protection issues over how the platform targets its users, POLITICO reported.
Dutch State Secretary for Digital Affairs Alexandra van Huffelen said she is in talks with Meta to change the way it manages its Facebook Pages product on the recommendation of the country’s data protection authority.
“I want as soon as possible, the latest before the summer recess, clarity from Meta how they will meet our concerns,” Van Huffelen said in a statement. “Otherwise we will be forced to quit our activities on Facebook pages.”
The authorities propose to the government to abstain from using Facebook due to uncertainty over a number of fundamental issues, the agency said in a letter dated 26 March. Data processing on Facebook pages should be “more insightful,” and the government should have “more transparency” on the issue, the authorities said.
Officials first began raising questions about the government’s use of Facebook pages two years ago, but an earlier assessment by the data protection authority identified a number of serious data protection risks for the government when using Facebook pages.
“We fundamentally disagree with the assessment that underpins this advice, which is wrong on the facts and demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding as to how our products work,” Matthew Pollard, a spokesperson for Meta, said in a statement.
Van Huffelen has been in talks with Meta to resolve the issue, she told lawmakers in a new letter. She said the social media giant had tried to convince the ministry of the “incorrectness” of the privacy assessment. The minister said she would resume talks with Meta to dispel the concerns. Pollard, for his part, claimed:
“We review all Meta products to ensure they comply with laws in the regions in which we offer our services, and will continue to engage with the government to ensure they can use social media to communicate with people.”
