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The EU courts could go after any assets/companies associated with Facebook operating in the EU and basically dissolve them as bankrupt if they fail to pay their
by Stranger43 5y ago
The EU courts could go after any assets/companies associated with Facebook operating in the EU and basically dissolve them as bankrupt if they fail to pay their increasing fines.
Another venue is to go directly after Facebooks European customers and make it illegal for any company to pay Facebook for ads targeting European customers.
In the end this would force Facebook to abandon Europe and lead to local competitors taking over that market weakening Facebooks network effects in non-US markets.
this is an escalation and delaying game and so far facebook is banking on some political saving grace that probably wont come as well privacy is considered an human rights by European courts and not something an simple short term political majority can simply erase because it's convenient for some US megacorp.
- thewarrior 5y agoI would expect that the US government would apply diplomatic pressure to prevent such outcomes as it would lead to copycat measures.
- Stranger43 5y agoThe question here is does the US have any leverage left as it's not like the American diplomatic service haven't tried pressure European regulators and courts to water down the enforcement of European privacy regulation since it was enacted. If the showdown happens in the highly independent German court system, i just don't see how American political pressure is going to stop the slow but steady path of escalating measures likely to be taken if Facebook refuses to comply with court rulings.
- tablespoon 5y agoI wonder if they could put an arrest warrant out for Mark Zuckerberg for something like contempt of court?