The potential outcome of Max Schrems first legal actions against Facebook and Google

Abstract

Max Schrems, the Austrian data protection activist, has taken the first legal actions against Facebook and Google.1 He has raised complaints with four national Data Protection Agencies (DPAs) in France, Belgium, Austria and Germany. His strategy is to push the DPAs to use their enforcement power.2 Facebook and Google are asking their users to consent to its complete privacy policy, without providing this consent, a user cannot use the service. Max Schrems regards this consent as legally invalid since, it is not freely given.