By Kelley Chittenden
A Belgian
court order threatened Facebook with fines of up to €250,000 per day if the social network did not stop
tracking Internet users without Facebook accounts. Research reveals Facebook tracks users that
visit its page regardless of whether the user has an account or has opted out
of tracking in the EU. The cookie placed on the user’s device allegedly allows
Facebook to access information whenever the user visits Facebook pages or pages
that include “like” or “share” links. Facebook claims the cookie protects user
security, and the social network is appealing the order in part due to its inclusion
of English words such as “cookie” and “web browser” to describe its tracking technology.
Although Belgian law requires rulings be made in Dutch, French, or German, “web
browser” in Dutch is “webbrowser,” and an Internet cookie is “cookie” in each
language—Facebook appears to have a weak argument in this respect.
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