Meta Platforms Ireland Limited

DPC (Ireland) case IN-18-5-5, decided 31st December 2022. EUR 210M.

ContextAppeal status not checked

We have not checked whether this decision was appealed. This is not a statement that no appeal exists.

No ConsentMark grade rests on this decision. It is published here because it is relevant enforcement, not because it bears on what a browser does before consent.

What the regulator decided

Meta Ireland could not rely on the contract legal basis (Article 6(1)(b) GDPR) to process Facebook users' personal data for behavioural advertising; the processing therefore lacked any valid lawful basis and breached transparency obligations under Articles 12 and 13(1)(c).

Primary source

Regulator-owned URL. Quote this in legal briefs and academic citations.

https://www.dataprotection.ie/sites/default/files/uploads/2023-04/Meta%20FINAL%20DECISION%20(ADOPTED)%2031-12-22%20-%20IN-18-5-5%20(Redacted).pdf

Archived snapshot

Wayback Machine snapshot of the primary source. Use this when the regulator URL might be refactored or expire.

https://web.archive.org/web/20260414181401/https://www.dataprotection.ie/sites/default/files/uploads/2023-04/Meta%20FINAL%20DECISION%20%28ADOPTED%29%2031-12-22%20-%20IN-18-5-5%20%28Redacted%29.pdf

ConsentMark interpretation

Operator-readable note on how this case shapes the ConsentMark scanner narrative. Not a legal opinion; cites the primary source.

Decision followed EDPB Binding Decision 3/2022 (Art. 65 GDPR) on dispute resolution. Cite alongside Article 5(3) ePrivacy when the substantive issue is lawful basis for tracking, not the cookie banner mechanics.

Verification trail

Checked against the primary source on 27th August 2026. Next review 27th February 2027.

Cite this case

BibTeX

@misc{consentmark-precedent-dpc-in-18-5-5,
  author       = {{ConsentMark}},
  year         = {2022},
  title        = {DPC (Ireland) IN-18-5-5 - Meta Platforms Ireland Limited},
  howpublished = {\url{https://www.consentmark.com/precedent/dpc-in-18-5-5}},
  note         = {ConsentMark methodology v7.8.1}
}

APA

ConsentMark. (2022, December 31). DPC (Ireland) IN-18-5-5 - Meta Platforms Ireland Limited. Methodology v7.8.1. https://www.consentmark.com/precedent/dpc-in-18-5-5

Markdown

[DPC (Ireland) IN-18-5-5 - Meta Platforms Ireland Limited - ConsentMark](https://www.consentmark.com/precedent/dpc-in-18-5-5)

Plain text

DPC (Ireland) IN-18-5-5 - Meta Platforms Ireland Limited - ConsentMark, 2022-12-31, methodology v7.8.1, https://www.consentmark.com/precedent/dpc-in-18-5-5