Facebook and the Belgian consumer association Test Achats on Friday announced a three-year collaboration to improve consumers’ digital lives and “create added value for them.”
The agreement ends a class action suit filed by Test Achats for the alleged violation by Facebook Ireland and other Facebook entities of data protection law, consumer law, contract law, unfair competition law, unfair commercial practices law, and/or privacy law.
Under the agreement, Facebook and Euroconsumers, the umbrella organisation to which Test Achats belongs, plan to launch various initiatives for the benefit of consumers in a number of European countries, namely Belgium, Italy, Portugal and Spain.
“These initiatives, aimed at creating concrete added value, are intended to focus on such issues as sustainability, online scams and digital empowerment,” Facebook and Euroconsumers explained in a joint press release.
According to Test Achats, Facebook and the national associations that are members of Euroconsumers share a common objective and will to guarantee the safety and right to privacy of Facebook users, and have thus decided to work together to this end.
The partners also agreed to set up a Consumer Policy Committee to “support the enhancement of consumer protection", among other things "by discussing research and analysis on topics of common interest."
The Committee will also focus on "information on current and emerging issues and trends, and guidelines and policies for addressing problematic areas,” Facebook and Euroconsumers said in their press release.
The Brussels Times
