New Delhi, April 2 -- Afew days ago, there was a significant judgement by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) of the UK. Its ruling was based on a lawsuit filed by Tanya O'Carroll against Meta in 2022. Meta's platforms include Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.

O'Carroll had created her Facebook account about 20 years ago. In her lawsuit, she asked Meta to stop using her personal data to fill her social media feeds with targeted advertisements based on topics it thought she was interested in. Her lawsuit argued that since Facebook's targeted advertising system was covered by the UK's definition of direct marketing, individuals had the right to object. The ICO, as the UK's data watchdog, has agreed with her contention and approved ...