Facebook threatens to pull out of Europe if it doesnt get its way
by Volker Weber
Vice reports:
CORK, Ireland — Facebook has threatened to pack up its toys and go home if European regulators don’t back down and let the social network get its own way.
In a court filing in Dublin, Facebook said that a decision by Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) would force the company to pull up stakes and leave the 410 million people who use Facebook and photo-sharing service Instagram in the lurch.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. When can you leave?
Comments
That response to the FB threat made my day! LOL.
Seems a bit of an empty threat. Is Facebook really going to let go of all those users? I doubt it. (And yes, Europe would probably be better of without them)
Strange concept, the so called „law“... even more odd, jurisdictions and executives that actually try to enforce it... tststs!
I totally agree with you (I stopped posting to my FB account about 3 years ago now)... but (there is always a but isn't there 😊) it will not be able to keep up with my family at all then - they are scattered in Australia and South Africa. I have tried to move them to other systems but I cannot even get them to use iOS Messages (all have an iPhone) instead of WhatsApp...
One can dream a bit, I guess...
"Facebook leaves Europe" just means: no official offices and employees. Of course no taxes...
The Services itself (Facebook.com, etc. )will be reachable as ever. So are all people.
Selling ads etc. will be done through resellers or by offices in Uk or USA. It´s a global business.
It just will be clear: Facebook is a US-company with US-regulations and no protection for european users by european laws.
So for the ordinary user: nothing changes.
Die Hybris von Marc Zuckerberg schlägt da voll durch: Er denkt wahrscheinlich, dass die Europäer ohne seine Produkte nicht mehr leben wollen und die Politiker in deshalb mit Samthandschuhen anfassen. Dabei ist Facebook selbst mittlerweile nur noch ein Netzwerk für alte Leute (also 30+), Insta ist zwar beliebt, aber nichts worauf man nicht verzichten kann und wenn WhatsApp in Europa nicht mehr laufen sollte, dann werden die Leute ganz schnell auf einen anderen Messenger umsteigen....
Don't let the door hit you on the way out.
FB offices in Europe only exist to ensure easier access to their clients - European businesses. They're here to make money, if they close any offices they'll still make money. Just maybe not as much.
Im Vice-Artikel ist das Originaldokument verlinkt. Da klingt es deutlich weniger nach einer Drohung.