Big tech giant on thin ice! Norway calls out Meta for playing fast and loose with privacy rules.

Hold onto your hats, folks! OSLO reports – Meta, the bigwig behind Facebook and Instagram, got caught with its hands in the cookie jar. You see, they’re in hot water over in Norway for bending those oh-so-important European privacy rules. And let me tell ya, this might just ripple across Europe like a stone skipping across a pond.

Now, picture this: Meta’s been slapped with a whopping fine – we’re talking a cool million crowns (that’s around $94,145 for those keeping score at home) – every single day since mid-August. Why? Because they’ve been a tad sneaky, scooping up user data like candy and dishing out targeted ads. It’s like they’re throwing a party and forgot to ask for an invite!

Most tech giants dance to the tune of this behavioral advertising jig, but that doesn’t make it right. Meta’s trying to tap dance its way out, hoping for a little reprieve from these daily fines. But the referee in this game, Hanne Inger Bjurstroem Jahren (representing the data watchdog, Datatilsynet), isn’t budging. She took the stand and declared loud and clear, “Meta’s crossing the line with GDPR rules.”

Meta tried pulling the “we were gonna ask for permission” card on Tuesday. They felt Datatilsynet jumped the gun, not giving them a fair shake to respond. But the watchdog barked back, saying they’re in the dark about when or even how Meta plans to seek user consent. So, in the meantime, it seems like they’re playing hopscotch with our rights.

Here’s the twist: Datatilsynet might take this to the big leagues – the European Data Protection Board. If they get a nod of agreement, this decision could go big, stretching its arms all over Europe. As of now, they’re still mulling it over.

And just a fun tidbit for y’all: Norway might not be an EU member, but they’re still in the European inner circle. So, grab some popcorn and stay tuned – this tech showdown is far from over!

(For those diving into the currency pool, here’s a lifebuoy: $1 is about 10.6219 Norwegian crowns. You’re welcome!)