A Spanish court ruled on Thursday that Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, must pay €479 million to national media organisations for what it determined to be ‘unfair competition’, along with an additional €60 million in accrued interest.
Under EU regulations, digital platforms are required to obtain users’ explicit consent before using their personal data for targeted advertising.
The lawsuit was brought in 2023 by AMI (Asociación de Medios de Información), Spain’s leading media association. AMI accused Meta of engaging in ‘unfair competition’ by ‘systematically’ breaching these rules between May 2018 and July 2023.
After hearing the case last month, a commercial court in Madrid sided with AMI, concluding that Meta had obtained a ‘significant competitive advantage’ in the online advertising market by disregarding data-protection legislation.
AMI had originally demanded €551 million in damages.
On the trial’s opening day, AMI’s director general Irene Lanzaco told reporters: ‘This isn’t a case that affects only AMI’s outlets, it has implications for media worldwide.’
She added: ‘What’s at stake is the very survival of news media, which is being threatened by the predatory behaviour of a platform like Meta, acting with no regard for our legal framework.’
Meta representatives argued in court that algorithms — rather than personal data — were the crucial element in creating personalised ads. The company’s lawyer, Javier de Carvajal, urged the judge to reject the compensation request, describing the claims as ‘unsupported by evidence’.
The ruling orders that the funds be distributed among 87 media organisations.
AMI’s members include major Spanish media groups such as Prisa, which owns El País; Vocento, publisher of ABC; and Unidad Editorial, the group behind El Mundo.
Separately, Spanish radio and television networks have filed their own case against Meta, seeking €160 million in compensation on similar grounds.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Wednesday that Spain would open an investigation into Meta for alleged large-scale privacy breaches, and has summoned the company to appear before parliament.
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🔴 Victoria histórica para la @ami_asociacion y la prensa española.
Un juez de Madrid nos ha dado la razón y ha condenado a @Meta a indemnizar a 87 medios integrados e AMI, por competencia desleal.
🏆Podéis leer aquí más información: https://t.co/pb3q41Fw1j pic.twitter.com/nZ0tcsrzSI
— AMI (@ami_asociacion) November 20, 2025
ÚLTIMA HORA | Un juez condena a Meta a pagar 479 millones a los medios españoles por competencia deslealhttps://t.co/9Vp17DViyf
— El Confidencial (@elconfidencial) November 20, 2025
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