In the matter of the General Data Protection Regulation
DPC Complaint Reference:
IMI Reference:
In the matter of a complaint, lodged by with the Agencia Española
de Protección de Datos pursuant to Article 77 of the General Data Protection Regulation,
concerning Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (formerly Facebook Ireland Limited)
Record of Amicable Resolution of the complaint and its consequent withdrawal pursuant to
Section 109(3) of the Data Protection Act, 2018
Further to the requirements of EDPB Guidelines 06/2022 on the practical implementation of
amicable settlements Version 2.0 (adopted on 12 May 2022)
RECORD OF AMICABLE RESOLUTION FOR THE
PURPOSE OF EDPB GUIDELINES 06/2022 ON THE
PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION OF AMICABLE
SETTLEMENTS VERSION 2.0
(ADOPTED ON 12 MAY 2022)
Dated the 10th day of March 2023
Data Protection Commission
21 Fitzwilliam Square South
Dublin 2, Ireland
1
Background
1. On 08 July 2019, (“the Data Subject”) lodged a complaint
pursuant to Article 77 GDPR with the Agencia Española de Protección de Datos (“the Recipient
SA”) concerning Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (formerly Facebook Ireland Limited) (“the
Respondent”).
2. In circumstances where the Data Protection Commission (“the DPC”) was deemed to be the
competent authority for the purpose of Article 56(1) GDPR, the Recipient SA transferred the
complaint to the DPC on 23 December 2019.
The Complaint
3. The details of the complaint were as follows:
a. The Data Subject made an erasure request pursuant to Article 17 of the GDPR,
requesting the erasure of personal data concerning him, that had been uploaded to
the Respondent’s platform by a third party user.
b. The Respondent reviewed the request and determined that the content did not satisfy
any of the criteria for erasure under Article 17 of the GDPR. Accordingly, the
Respondent refused to comply with the Data Subject’s request.
c. As the Data Subject was not satisfied with the response received from the Respondent
regarding the concerns raised, they lodged a complaint with the Recipient SA.
Action taken by the DPC
4. The DPC, pursuant to Section 109(4) of the Data Protection Act, 2018 (“the 2018 Act”), is
required, as a preliminary matter, to assess the likelihood of the parties to the complaint
reaching, within a reasonable time, an amicable resolution of the subject-matter of the
complaint. Where the DPC considers that there is a reasonable likelihood of such an amicable
resolution being concluded between the parties, it is empowered, by Section 109(2) of the
2018 Act, to take such steps as it considers appropriate to arrange or facilitate such an
amicable resolution.
5. Following a preliminary examination of the material referred to it by the Recipient SA, the DPC
considered that there was a reasonable likelihood of the parties concerned reaching, within a
reasonable time, an amicable resolution of the subject matter of the complaint. The DPC’s
experience is that complaints of this nature are particularly suitable for amicable resolution in
circumstances where there is an obvious solution to the dispute, if the respondent is willing
to engage in the process. In this regard, the DPC had regard to:
a. The relationship between the Data Subject and Respondent (being, in this case, an
individual consumer and a service provider); and
2
b. The nature of the complaint (in this case, an unsuccessful attempt by the Data Subject
to exercise their data subject rights).
6. While not relevant to the assessment that the DPC is required to carry out pursuant to Section
109(4) of the 2018 Act, the DPC also had regard to EDPB Guidelines 06/2022 on the practical
implementation of amicable settlements Version 2.0, adopted on 12 May 2022 (“Document
06/2022”), and considered that:
a. the possible conclusion of the complaint by way of amicable resolution would not
hamper the ability of the supervisory authorities to maintain the high level of
protection that the GDPR seeks to create; and that
b. such a conclusion, in this case, would likely carry advantages for the Data Subject,
whose rights under the GDPR would be vindicated swiftly, as well as for the controller,
who would be provided the opportunity to bring its behaviour into compliance with
the GDPR.
Amicable Resolution
7. The DPC engaged with both the Data Subject (via the Recipient SA) and Respondent in relation
to the subject matter of the complaint. The DPC first engaged with the Respondent on this
matter on 10 March 2020. Further to that engagement, the Respondent advised that they had
further reviewed the complaint and following this review, they were of the view that no
grounds for the removal of the content existed under Article 17 of the GDPR.
8. The DPC continued to engage with both the Data Subject via the Recipient SA and the
Respondent in order to bring about an amicable resolution to the complaint.
9. On 15 August 2022, in an effort to amicably resolve the complaint, the DPC contacted the
Respondent seeking their cooperation in removing the remaining personal data in question.
On 16 September 2022, the Respondent contacted the Data Subject directly, informing them
that the content in question had been disabled. It is the DPC’s understanding that disablement
of content means that the data has been deleted. The Respondent also informed the DPC of
the actions it had taken.
10. On 6 October 2022, the DPC wrote to the Data Subject via the recipient SA seeking their views
on the actions taken by the Respondent. The Recipient SA thereafter issued this
correspondence to the Data Subject on 08 November 2022. In this correspondence, the DPC
requested a reply, within a stated timeframe.
11. On 08 December 2022, the Recipient SA confirmed that no response had been received from
the Data Subject.
12. On 13 December 2022, and in light of the foregoing, the DPC wrote to the Recipient SA noting
that the DPC considered the complaint to have been amicably resolved and withdrawn in
3
accordance with section 109(3) of the Act and that it would conclude the case and inform the
Respondent. On 26 January 2023, the Recipient SA confirmed receipt of this correspondence.
13. In circumstances where the subject matter of the complaint has been amicably resolved, in
full, the complaint, by virtue of Section 109(3) of the 2018 Act, is deemed to have been
withdrawn by the Data Subject.
Confirmation of Outcome
14. For the purpose of Document 06/2022, the DPC confirms that:
a. The complaint, in its entirety, has been amicably resolved between the parties
concerned;
b. The agreed resolution is such that the object of the complaint no longer exists; and
c. Having consulted with the supervisory authorities concerned on the information set
out above, as required by Document 06/2022 the DPC has now closed off its file in
this matter.
15. If dissatisfied with the outcome recorded herein, the parties have the right to an effective
remedy by way of an application for judicial review, by the Irish High Court, of the process
applied by the DPC in the context of the within complaint.
Signed for and on behalf of the DPC:
_____________________________
Deputy Commissioner
Data Protection Commission
4