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ARTICLE · 18 OCTOBER 2023

Meta slapped with $20M penalty for misleading consumers about use of personal activity data

Holding Redlich
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App that claimed to "Keep you & your data safe" was found to have deceived consumers.

AustraliaConsumer Protection
Emily Booth
Emily Booth
Isabella Beale
Isabella Beale
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In July 2023, the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission (ACCC) won its lengthy court battle against Facebook Israel and Onavo Protect, two subsidiaries of the social media giant, Meta.

The subsidiaries were found to have breached the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) having deceived consumers by making false and misleading representations about Onavo Protect – an app advertised as a virtual private network (VPN). The app was downloaded by more than 270,000 Australians and claimed to "Keep You and Your Data Safe."

From 2016 to 2018, Facebook Israel and Onavo collected the personal activity data of their users and disclosed it to Meta for commercial exploitation. The data was distributed to Meta in aggregated and anonymised form and included browsing history and app activity.

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This publication does not deal with every important topic or change in law and is not intended to be relied upon as a substitute for legal or other advice that may be relevant to the reader's specific circumstances. If you have found this publication of interest and would like to know more or wish to obtain legal advice relevant to your circumstances please contact one of the named individuals listed.

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