With a New Data Agreement, Facebook and Instagram Stay in EU

If you live in Europe and are concerned about Facebook and Instagram possibly leaving the EU because of their disagreement on GDPR, we got some good news. Meta is here to stay. The new agreement about transatlantic data transfer policy seems to satisfy both sides, so keep posting your photos and don’t worry.

A lot changed on the Internet as the European Union implemented the GDPR, the personal data protection policy that among all required that user data be stored on servers in EU. Many services complied, but not those owned by Meta. In August 2020, the Irish Data Protection Commission recognized Meta Platforms Ireland (the representative of Meta in the EU) failed to develop a data protection policy that would comply with GPDR. This led to a speculation that, in case the agreement wouldn’t be reached, Meta would suspend its operations in the European Union.

Is there now any need to find a new place to share your stories, to move your picture archive, or to found a new social media to replace the old dinosaurs? No, no, and no. The new agreement the sides have been working on seems to be satisfying both sides and technically implementable. At least, so Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the EU Commission, said on her Twitter.

Little is known in terms of details, but everything hints that Facebook and Instagram will still keep their users’ personal data on their American servers. The European authorities, at the same time, will have a possibility to make sure that the security is up to the levels provided by the policy, and the user data will be protected from any unauthorized access.

Did you take the threat of Meta’s withdrawal from Europe seriously? Who would take the place of these services if they indeed left? What do you think about it? Share your opinion in our comments, as we are here to stay anyway!