Facebook gets 48 hrs to stop tracking users

BRUSSELS, Nov 10, (AFP): A Belgian court on Monday gave Facebook 48 hours to stop tracking Internet users who do not have accounts with the US social media giant, or risk fines of up to 250,000 euros ($269,000) a day.

The order follows a case lodged by Belgium’s privacy watchdog in June which said Facebook indiscriminately tracks Internet users when they visit pages on the site or click “like” or “share”, even if they are not members, the court said.

Facebook said it would appeal against the decision.

“Today the judge ... ordered the social network Facebook to stop tracking and registering Internet usage by people who surf the Internet in Belgium, in the 48 hours which follow this statement,” the court said.