Social plugins like the popular Facebook “Like Button” and the Google "Plus Button" are increasingly coming under pressure as a number of German data protection authorities have expressed their concern about compliance with German data protection and media laws.
Germany’s northernmost DPA in the state of Schleswig-Holstein set a deadline by the end of September 2011 for website providers to remove social plugins from websites, other DPAs in Germany have expressed similar views.
In cases of non-compliance, administrative fines of up to EUR 50,000.00 may be imposed. According to press reports, the first german website operators to remove their social plugins are government organizations including administrations and local authorities.
"...it now appears that the liability will be placed upon domestic users of social media services."
The likelihood for a website provider using social plugins to become subject to an enquiry or fine by a German DPA is hard to predict. However, the Schleswig-Holstein DPA has already announced that it will take action after the expiry of the September deadline. It remains to be seen how DPAs in the rest of Germany will react.
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Further Reading:
Germany vs. Facebook: Like Button Declared Illegal, Sites Threatened With Fine
German Agencies Banned From Using Facebook, 'Like' Button
German DPAs to attack Social plug-ins
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