If the new European law on the protection of electronic data of internet users is implemented by tomorrow, almost 1,9 billions of Facebook users around the world would be protected by it.
But the largest social network is doing everything it can to ensure that this number will be a lot smallers.
Facebook members outside the United States and Canada, whether they know it or not, are currently subject to the terms of service agreed at the company's international headquarters in Ireland.
From the following month, however, according to Reuters, Facebook intends to make it very clear that only European users will be protected by the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Next month, Facebook is planning to make that the case for only European users, meaning 1.5 billion members in Africa, Asia, Australia and Latin America will not fall under the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which takes effect on May 25.
What does this mean; 1,5 billions of members of the social network in Africa, Asia, Australia and Latin America will not be covered by the General Data Protection Regulation of the European Union.
Facebook confirmed in Reuters on Thursday that they are willing to adopt the GDPR. The law allows European regulators to impose large fines on companies that collect and use personal data without the consent of users.
This law will not stop at European borders, as wherever it is, the company will be bound by GDPR's requirements if its facilities are located in the EU, offer goods and services in the EU or monitor the behavior of the EU population.
This change will affect more than 70 percent of 2 billion Facebook members. In December, Facebook had 239 millions of users in the United States and Canada, 370 millions in Europe and 1,52 billion users in other countries around the world.
Facebook, like many other US tech companies, set up an Irish subsidiary in 2008 taking advantage of the low plusoperators taxation of the country. But the Icelandic subsidiary will be subject to the regulations that will apply in the European Union.
But let's look at a very interesting Facebook statement:
"We apply the same privacy protection everywhere, whether your agreement is with Facebook Inc. or Facebook Ireland," the company said.
But Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told Reuters earlier this month that his company will follow suit "spirit" of EU law, but did not appear to be committed to whether the "spirit" would be applied worldwide.
For users of the social network in Europe, Facebook has published yesterday the changes that come with GDPR.
Let us remind you that at duration of the Zuckerberg hearing by CongressUS Senator John Thune, a South Dakota Republican and chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade, Science and Transport, said:
"The story you created represents the American dream. You have an obligation to ensure that the dream will not become a nightmare ".
