“German market watchdog is going to limit data collection Facebook”

Facebook is reportedly to stop collecting certain data in Germany soon. That writes the German newspaper Bild. The order is the result of an investigation by the market watchdog, the Bundeskartelamt, which has been running since 2015.

According to Bild, Facebook would have abused its dominant position in the social media market to collect data from users without the knowledge or consent of those users. In particular, the Bundeskartelamt would have a problem with data collection via apps linked to Facebook; games on the platform, for example, but also Facebook’s own WhatsApp and Instagram. These apps may also collect data from non-Facebook users.

Facebook itself denies being guilty and says in a response to Bild that it will defend itself against the findings and any measures. The Bundeskartelamt is expected to announce the measure within a few weeks and Facebook will then be given a deadline. It is not known exactly which data may no longer be collected.

The company has been under the magnifying glass for some time when it comes to the privacy of its users. The biggest driver of negative attention for Facebook was the Cambridge Analytica scandal. A company collected data from 50 million Facebook users through a Facebook app to target advertising campaigns to influence the results of the 2016 US presidential election.