Regulators say scam ads & bot traffic erode advertiser trust, risking $172B in fraud losses by 2028. Platforms like Meta argue short-term revenue justifies tolerance. But experts warn polluted data & fines will gut long-term profits. #AdFraud #BotTraffic #SurveillanceAds #DigitalPrivacy #ScamAds

Meta's New Privacy Policy Opens Up AI Chats for Targeted Ads If Meta can use a feature for targeting ads, Meta will use a feature for targeting ads.

Meta's 2026 privacy policy routes user AI chat interactions into ad targeting affecting 1B+ monthly users. Privacy coalitions urged the FTC to probe it under the 2019 consent decree. #Meta #AI #SurveillanceAds #DataPrivacy #FTC #PrivacyRights #MetaAI
gizmodo.com/metas-new-pr...

EU regulators’ record €1.2B GDPR fine shows how “free” Facebook & Instagram treated Europeans’ data as export fuel for ad targeting, a warning for users of Meta, X & TikTok: your privacy is the real price tag. #Meta #GDPR #Privacy #SurveillanceAds #NotFree

Does TikTok's new Terms of Service track race, gender identity, and immigration status? Users are concerned TikTok is collecting new kinds of personal data. It's more complicated.

TikTok’s updated privacy policy clarifies it can infer sensitive traits and collect precise location and AI‑interaction data, showing “free” short‑video feeds are fueled by intimate profiling. Delete TikTok now before its too late! #TikTok #SurveillanceAds #LocationData

mashable.com/article/tikt...

Meta and Apple face serious questions about child safety and privacy Privacy and encryption are central themes in legal proceedings involving child safety against Meta and Apple this week.

Meta faces a landmark New Mexico trial alleging its apps addict kids, harvest data, and ignore red flags about child exploitation, reviving scrutiny of surveillance‑ad “free” platforms. #Meta #Privacy #ChildSafety #SurveillanceAds

www.cnbc.com/2026/02/20/m...

Privacy Litigation Report: Takeaways From January 2026 Decisions Key point: In this post: (1) increase in ECPA litigation as courts extend “crime tort” exception beyond health care; (2) service provider wins again

US lawsuits say Meta’s tracking pixels and analytics leak video viewing and browsing histories, treating attention as data to be sold despite privacy video laws. #Meta #Privacy #SurveillanceAds #DeleteMeta www.troutmanprivacy.com/2026/02/priv...

EDRi (@edri@eupolicy.social) 📝 Yesterday, nine civil society organisations, including @edri, submitted a joint complaint against X for violating the #DSA by using people’s sensitive personal data for targeted ads. 🚨 This is banned under the DSA because it can lead to higher risk of discrimination, harm and violations of users’ fundamental rights. Together, we are calling for Digital Services Coordinators and the European Commission to investigate X, and hold it to accountable ✊🏽 Read more ⤵️ https://edri.org/our-work/civil-society-files-joint-dsa-complaint-against-x-for-targeting-people-with-ads-using-their-sensitive-personal-data/

Proud to be able to support the excellent #DSA complaint drafted by @aiforensics_org against the illegal use of personal data by #X to target people with #SurveillanceAds.

https://eupolicy.social/@edri/114862312731261161

#DigitalServicesAct #TrackingFreeAds #privacy

Original post on eupolicy.social

"We have identified more than 46,000 #ads, approved and delivered by #Meta to European users more than 292 million times, these products generally promoting dubious #medicines or ‘remedies’ not approved by national or European #health bodies."

Yet another data point to show how dangerous the […]

EU ruling: tracking-based advertising by Google, Microsoft, Amazon, X, across Europe has no legal basis Landmark court decision against “TCF” consent pop ups on 80% of the internet

Belgian appeals court rules #TCF's #consent framework that enables 80% of the internet's #SurveillanceAds is illegal.

#TrackingFreeAds #RTB #tracking #GDPR

www.iccl.ie/digital-data...

Original post on eupolicy.social

🇧🇪 Belgian appeals court rules #TCF's #consent framework that enables 80% of the internet's #SurveillanceAds is illegal.

What a fantastic win for the complainants (@edri members) @panoptykon, @bitsoffreedom, and #ICCL ! […]

Original post on eupolicy.social

#DigitalSovereignty doesn't mean tech for sovereign nations, it means tech for sovereign people.

Tech in the hands of a European billionaire class is hardly any better than what we have now.

Free it up, give people control, open source it, decentralise it, remove choke points and gatekeepers […]

Frightening new evidence found by @checkmyads on how #adtech and #surveillanceads help fund #CSAM #childabuse online:

www.bbc.com/future/article/20250207-...

#TrackingFreeAds #privacy

Here's an excellent report about what to (not) expect from self-regulatory #advertising codes of conduct under the #DigitalServicesAct, by the brilliant @jjaursch

www.interface-eu.org/publications/dsa-adverti...

#trackingfreeads #DSA #surveillanceads