Back in 2015, the Federation of German Consumer Organisations (VZBV) kicked off a lawsuit against Facebook due to the default settings and terms of service it presented to anyone creating an account. VZBV claimed they were in breach of consumer law. This week, a German court decided that Facebook’s use of personal data is indeed illegal.
The Verge reports, the verdict was made in a Berlin regional court which found parts of the social network’s consent for data usage were invalid. Informed consent for personal data collection and use are not adequate to comply with the law. This includes the use of real names, which VZBV said the court viewed as “a covert way” of obtaining users’ consent to share their names.
Facebook isn’t ready to change its real name policy and plans to appeal the decision. Plus, the social network will be making changes to comply with European Union privacy laws being introduced in June.
