Dutch court halts Meta data privacy mass claim lawsuits pending European court rulings

The Amsterdam District Court has delayed proceedings in significant lawsuits against Meta. Two organizations allege that the parent company of Instagram and Facebook misused personal data and are demanding compensation for Dutch users. The court will first await the European Court of Justice’s decision in a comparable case.

The substantive hearing of the case has not yet begun. The court must first decide whether the claim organizations, Data Privacy Stichting (DPS) and Stichting Onderzoek Marktinformatie (SOMI), have the legal standing to sue on behalf of Meta’s alleged victims.

In a similar lawsuit against Amazon, the Rotterdam court referred questions on this issue to the EU Court in Luxembourg. Until that ruling is issued, the judge is putting the Meta case on hold.

In 2023, the Amsterdam court ruled that Facebook had unlawfully handled Dutch users’ personal data for years, in a case filed by DPS. The company collected information on aspects such as religion or sexual orientation by tracking browsing activity beyond its own platforms. Additionally, Facebook shared personal data with third parties without obtaining consent.

The new lawsuits will require the court to decide on potential compensation for Dutch users. SOMI adds that a Facebook data breach gave unauthorized parties access to personal information. Should the two foundations succeed in securing the compensation they seek, the total payouts could reach billions of euros.