Meta withdrew complaints against the President of the Personal Data Protection Office decisions

Meta withdrew complaints against the President of the Personal Data Protection Office decisions on Rafal Brzoska and Omena Mensah

Meta Platforms Ireland Limited has withdrawn its complaints against the orders of the President of the Personal Data Protection Office dated August 5, 2024 in the case of Mr Rafal Brzoska and Ms Amma Omena Mensah.

The President of the Personal Data Protection Office Miroslaw Wroblewski has ordered the Meta company to halt the display of fake ads using real data and the image of Rafal Brzoska and Omena Mensah on Facebook and Instagram for three months in the territory of the Republic of Poland. Rafal Brzoska's image, modified with deepfake technology, was used in ads encouraging people to use investment platforms. Ads with Omena Mensah's image, on the other hand, contained false information about her being beaten by her husband, her death or being detained by the Police.

The company, disagreeing with the orders, filed a complaint with the Voivodship Administrative Court requesting that they be declared invalid or revoked.

However, it has now decided to withdraw its complaints, and the Voivodship Administrative Court in Warsaw, taking this demand into account, discontinued the proceedings in accordance with Article 161 (1) and Article 2 of the Act of August 30, 2002. - Law on Proceedings before Administrative Courts.

In the August orders, the President of the Personal Data Protection Office drew attention to the problem of spreading “fake news”, which can take on a very hurtful character and violate personal dignity, and, in the case of Rafal Brzoska, additionally lead to the recipients of the presented content making unfavourable financial investments. Such unlawful use of an image can be dangerous for a wide range of interested parties.

The President of the Personal Data Protection Office also stressed that fake materials specifically target famous people and take advantage of their popularity to generate more interest and clicks from users, but this harms the public perception of public figures' activities and undermines their reputation.

The solution that Meta is implementing in response to the whole problem is of ongoing interest to the President of the Personal Data Protection Office.