Facebook Strikes Again! Network Skirts Around GDPR Leaving 1.5bn Unprotected

Avatar for administrator administrator 23rd April 2018 0 Comments

It appears that the guys at Facebook didn’t see our recent post that GDPR is coming and there’s no skirting around it. The social network has hit the headlines once again, this time accused of flouncing the tough new privacy laws coming to Europe next month. Have they not learnt anything from the Cambridge Analytica scandal? A crisis that saw some 87 million users’ personal data harvested without their permission – apparently not…

Facebook’s new terms of service

Its recently adapted terms of services may have been altered in response to the Cambridge Analytica findings, but the changes will leave the vast majority of Facebook users unprotected in accordance to the soon to come into effect General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The terms of service will see users that were previously regulated by its European HQ, Facebook Ireland, moved out of Europe to be overseen by their US-based arm Facebook Inc. The move will mean users based outside of the EU but previously governed by Facebook Ireland will not be protected by GDPR. Thanks to the change the network won’t have to worry about GDPR compliance as so many businesses have in recent months as they busily prepare their brands.

Who’s affected?

Whilst the 239 million Facebook users based in the USA and Canada have never been the subjects of European rules and regulations, 1.5 billion Facebook users will be impacted by its shirking of GDPR compliance. That’s 70% of its total user base! Despite the network’s 370 million members in Europe, it’s their users in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Australia that will be affected by the lack of GDPR that applies to the network as it moves its operations to Facebook Inc.

Many experts have branded Facebook’s reorganisation as “an easy way out”, and it may even blaze the trail for other tech companies and social networks looking for the same ease.

A positive step for the net

Facebook Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that the introduction of GDPR next month was “going to be a very positive step for the internet”. A statement that may be coming back to bite him now. Despite the complications that many companies have faced in regards to GDPR compliance – the legislation after all affects every aspect of operations, including email marketing, SMS campaigns, postal mail outs and other direct marketing activities – most, and this includes ourselves, see the user benefits of its introduction.

Everyone, regardless of where they are based and whatever they use Facebook for (from individuals sharing personal milestones to those propelling their business through features like Facebook Advertising), has a right to privacy protection. Facebook’s rather shady move out of Ireland however, means that users outside of Europe will no longer be able to file their complaints about the use of their data with the Irish data protection commissioner. As with the Cambridge Analytica scandal however, Facebook has an answer for everything. Their deputy chief global privacy officer, Stephen Deadman, said:

“The GDPR and EU consumer law set out specific rules for terms and data policies which we have incorporated for EU users. We have been clear that we are offering everyone who uses Facebook the same privacy protections, controls and settings, no matter where they live”

We suppose only time will tell if the privacy protection European users are set to enjoy from next month onwards will be enjoyed by every Facebook user as promised.

Square Media is Northamptonshire’s premiere Web Design & Marketing Agency experienced in developing effective content and marketing strategies for forward-thinking companies in the local area. Our team of specialists consistently deliver outstanding results working in a variety of areas such as Search Engine Optimisation, Social Media Marketing Consultancy, Pay Per Click (PPC) and AdWords Management amongst a wide range of other services.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Wait... Before you go…

We're hosting a FREE WEBINAR on the steps you need to take to avoid failure and how to grow your business using digital marketing.

On the 25th May at 10:00 am

Wait.. Before you go…

We're hosting a FREE WEBINAR on Why HR and Marketing have to run hand-in-hand

On the 6th May at 10:30am

Wait.. Before you go…

We're Crunching the Numbers on the 2021 Budget in our next Webinar!

Interested?

FREE January Content Plan

Writing Social Media posts and blogs can often seem like a mountainous task - our free January Content Plan will help you to take the first steps for the new year.

With our Calendar, you'll be writing Social Media posts like a pro in no time! Plus, check out our blog for monthly tips & Social Ideas.

DOWNLOAD NOW

FREE Marketing Consultation

Our clients tell us that their number one headache isn’t in selling their products or services, recruiting staff or keeping up to date with their industry; it’s the age-old problem of marketing their business!

Whether you need help with marketing planning, web/graphic design, content writing, blogs and social media help, SEO & PPC reviewing or a combination of all of the above, book your FREE no-obligation marketing consultation with Steve now!

BOOK NOW

Our FREE Secret Links

Most agencies won't tell you, but a lot of the tools they use on a day to day basis are actually FREE!

We've put together a handy guide to the free tools we use every day to make our lives easier - and we're giving it to you!

DOWNLOAD NOW

Perfect Blog Post Template

A frequently updated Blog is one of the best ways to create extra content for your website; it also keeps your visitors coming back regularly, attracts new visitors and Google loves fresh content!

But did you know that how you structure your blog post can make all the difference?

Download our FREE Blog Post Template to see how to make your content stand out from the crowd!

FREE BLOG POST TEMPLATE

TikTok Guide

TikTok is a social media channel that is growing very fast. It has more than 3 billion downloads.

As a marketing agency that specialises in social media, we’ve put together our very own TikTok guide for you to use.

FREE HubSpot Consultation

At Square Media we specialise in helping businesses to make the most of their inbound and outbound promotional opportunities – working as a HubSpot CRM Partner we can help you to automate and analyse your business to the nth degree.

Why not let one of our HubSpot experts have a quick chat with you and get you started with a FREE account – no obligation, no pressure and no hard sell tactics (it’s not our style).

BOOK NOW

Image Size Cheat Sheet

When it comes to Social Media, visual content always works better than just text. But it's a bit of a headache keeping on top of all of the sizes you need to use to get the best from each channel.

Download or print our handy Image Size Cheat Sheet and keep it by your keyboard, so you know what size image to use whatever the situation.

DOWNLOAD NOW

Our Marketing Tips Infographic

Considering 2021 has been eventful with new trends and new marketing techniques arising we’ve made 2022 a lot easier for you!

We’ve put together our own marketing tips infographic especially for you to make your new year a little bit less stressful.

Download our FREE infographic here to find all of our best tips and watch your marketing rocket.

DOWNLOAD NOW

Get your Guide to Google Ads!

Everyone knows that SEO is important to any website, but often we forget about the power of paid Google Ads.

It needn't cost the earth, can be targeted well and can bring in business easily from Day 1!

Our FREE downloadable Google Ads Guide will help you to hit the ground running.

DOWNLOAD NOW

5 Killer Marketing Emails!

One of the most valuable tools in your online arsenal is your email/newsletter subscription list, yet it’s one of the ones that is most easy to ignore.

Simply put, if someone has signed up to your email list, they have given you permission to contact them, and how you use the first few emails that you send can be the deciding factor in whether they stay on your list and eventually become a customer, or hit the unsubscribe button so fast that you never get a chance to pitch your business.

So let’s look at 5 killer e-marketing email types, what they do and how to use them!

DOWNLOAD NOW

Start 2022 as you mean to go on!

Every great marketing campaign starts with the basics of getting your brand focused and clear.

Use our free brand guideline template to ensure that your brand is consistent across all of your content!

DOWNLOAD NOW

Christmas fun with Dino Bounce!

It's Christmas Day so let's start with some fun - how far through Dino Bounce can you get?

Don't forget to share your score at the end with the hashtag #dinoBounce (our convenient Twitter button will do this for you)

PLAY NOW