Abuse of user data for AI training by Meta
Partners Serbia will implement a litigation and advocacy project that puts Serbia, and the Western Balkans, on a rights-centred path toward the EU Digital Single Market (DSM).
In June 2024 Meta unilaterally amended its Privacy Policy for users in the Western Balkans, including Serbia, to permit the harvesting of all user content, behavioral data and metadata for training its proprietary AI systems. Unlike Meta’s approach inside the EU, where the GDPR forced Meta to provide granular notice and an effective opt out, Serbian users received no explanation of the new processing purpose and no mechanism to object. This bypass contravenes the transparency and fairness principles in Serbian Law on Personal Data Protection (modeled after the GDPR) and exposes Serbian users to indefinite algorithmic exploitation.
Partners Serbia will file what they claim is Serbia’s first Big-Tech competition complaint with the Commission for Protection of Competition. The complaint alleges Meta abuses its dominant market position by data concentration and imposing unfair conditions that harm users and foreclose rivals.
Abuse of user data for AI training by Meta
Organisation Name
Partners for Democratic Change Serbia (Partners Serbia)
Country/Jurisdiction
Serbia
Grant Amount
EUR 17,000
Current Status
Ongoing
Image credit: Solen Feyissa on Unsplash
Grant type
Litigation Track Support
Description
Partners Serbia will implement a litigation and advocacy project that puts Serbia, and the Western Balkans, on a rights-centred path toward the EU Digital Single Market (DSM).
In June 2024 Meta unilaterally amended its Privacy Policy for users in the Western Balkans, including Serbia, to permit the harvesting of all user content, behavioral data and metadata for training its proprietary AI systems. Unlike Meta’s approach inside the EU, where the GDPR forced Meta to provide granular notice and an effective opt out, Serbian users received no explanation of the new processing purpose and no mechanism to object. This bypass contravenes the transparency and fairness principles in Serbian Law on Personal Data Protection (modeled after the GDPR) and exposes Serbian users to indefinite algorithmic exploitation.
Partners Serbia will file what they claim is Serbia’s first Big-Tech competition complaint with the Commission for Protection of Competition. The complaint alleges Meta abuses its dominant market position by data concentration and imposing unfair conditions that harm users and foreclose rivals.
"Meta unilaterally amended its Privacy Policy for users in the Western Balkans, including Serbia, to permit the harvesting of all user content, behavioral data and metadata for training its proprietary AI systems"
Strategic Goals
By obliging the Commission to treat Meta’s data hoarding as an abuse of dominance, the litigation seeks a reasoned decision that blocks opaque AI training on Serbian users’ data and explicitly recognizes personal data concentration as a competition harm.
The competition case is embedded in a wider advocacy strategy aimed at steering Serbia, and the Western Balkans, toward full participation in the EU Digital Single Market.
Media and related links