Datatilsynet, the Norwegian data regulator, has referred an ongoing fine it has imposed on Meta Platforms to the European data authority (EDA).

The EDA said that it would make an assessment of the file which would then set a two week timer for it to decide to adopt Datatilsynet “urgent binding decision”.

Meta has been fined one million crowns per day since 14 August after the watchdog found that the company had breached users’ privacy by harvesting their data and using it to target advertising at them. The fine will be in place until the end of a three month period later this month – the maximum amount of time that Datatilsynet is allowed to impose such a penalty.

Despite the fines, Meta has shown no sign of altering the data harvesting practices which make up a core part of its business model and Datatilsynet is referring its decision to the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) with a view to making the decision permanent and widening it to the European Union and the European Economic Area.

Meta had unsuccessfully sought a temporary injunction against the fine.

In comments to Retuers, Tobias Judin, Datatilsynet's head of international section, said: "Meta is not respecting our decision in Norway and they continue to violate the law across Europe. Over 250 million people are affected. Therefore, it is necessary to get a final decision from the EDPB so that we can force compliance on the European level."

For its part, Meta said that it was surprised by the decision to refer the fine to the EDA, and that it “has already committed to moving to the legal basis of consent for advertising in the EU/EEA,” and that the company remains “in active discussions with the relevant data protection authorities on this topic via our lead regulator in the EU, the Irish Data Protection Commission, and will have more to share in due course”.

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