The proposed Instagram and Facebook ban throughout Europe, covering Instagram as well, has been avoided due to a new data transfer agreement between the US and the EU.
Why ban Facebook and Instagram?
Since late last year, Facebook and Instagram have both been on shaky grounds since accusations of both platforms being dangerous for mental health. Facebook by stoking hate, and Instagram by evoking eating disorders and body dysmorphia.
But closer to this year, there have also been worries that Facebook is the platform for Russian propaganda to grow and breed.
And yet, this time it was the Irish that had a problem with Facebook, forcing Facebook to address its issues or be hit with a continental-wide Facebook ban.
What has Meta got to say about it?
Umbrella company, Meta, released an update on the situation to the Securities and Exchange Commission, saying: “In August 2020, we received a preliminary draft decision from the Irish Data Protection Commission (IDPC) that preliminarily concluded that Meta Platforms Ireland’s reliance on Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) in respect of European user data does not achieve compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and preliminarily proposed that such transfers of user data from the European Union to the United States should therefore be suspended. If a new transatlantic data transfer framework is not adopted and we are unable to continue to rely on SCCs or rely upon other alternative means of data transfers from Europe to the United States, we will likely be unable to offer a number of our most significant products and services, including Facebook and Instagram, in Europe.”
To put that into English, the Irish authorities have been particularly strong on forcing Meta to update its policies to adhere to modern GDPR data collection and distribution policies.
And it seems they’ve got there, with Ursula von der Leyen, President of the EU Commission has announced that there is a new, parliamentary agreement on transatlantic data flows established.
Why is this important?
Well, there are a lot of people who would prefer that Facebook and Instagram aren’t banned, and as outlined above, a lot who would, but it will be particularly devastating to marketers to close the two biggest platforms in marketing in Europe.
This is yet another reason why diversifying your marketing campaign across various platforms would be beneficial. The news around Facebook, in particular, is rarely good, whether it’s accused of unhealthy side effects of its use or the fact that its younger users are fleeing the site.
In the meantime, however, marketers are sure to be happy that a massive chunk of their social media marketing campaign wasn’t bitten off.
