EU Court Extends WhatsApp's Privacy Legal Battle
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 1h ago
0mins
Should l Buy META?
Source: Yahoo Finance
- Legal Battle Continues: The EU Court ruled that WhatsApp's appeal against the EU privacy watchdog is admissible, prolonging a five-year legal struggle that may impact WhatsApp's operational strategies in Europe.
- Increased Fine: The Irish data protection authority raised the fine against WhatsApp to €225 million ($268 million) in 2021, influenced by the European Data Protection Board, highlighting the regulators' emphasis on data privacy.
- Appeal Rejected: Meta's appeal against this fine was dismissed by a lower tribunal, which stated that Meta was not directly affected by the EDPB's decision, potentially influencing Meta's compliance strategies moving forward.
- Case Reference: This case, identified as C-97/23P WhatsApp Ireland v EDPB, signifies that WhatsApp continues to face legal challenges regarding data privacy, which could lead to a stricter regulatory environment.
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Analyst Views on META
Wall Street analysts forecast META stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for META is 824.71 USD with a low forecast of 655.15 USD and a high forecast of 1117 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
44 Analyst Rating
37 Buy
6 Hold
1 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 661.460
Low
655.15
Averages
824.71
High
1117
Current: 661.460
Low
655.15
Averages
824.71
High
1117
About META
Meta Platforms, Inc. is building human connections, powered by artificial intelligence and immersive technologies. The Company's products enable people to connect and share with friends and family through mobile devices, personal computers, virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) headsets, augmented reality (AR), and wearables. It also helps people discover and learn about what is going on in the world around them, enabling people to share their experiences, ideas, photos, videos, and other content with audiences ranging from their closest family members and friends to the public at large. The Company's segments include Family of Apps (FoA) and Reality Labs (RL). FoA segment includes Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp and Threads. RL segment includes its virtual, augmented, and mixed reality related consumer hardware, software and content. Its product offerings in VR include its Meta Quest devices, as well as software and content available through the Meta Horizon Store.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Fine Increase Context: The Irish data protection authority raised WhatsApp's fine to €225 million (approximately $268 million) in 2021 following intervention from the European Data Protection Board, prompting strong opposition and an appeal from WhatsApp.
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- Case Reference: The case is designated as C-97/23P Whatsapp Ireland v EDPB, indicating that WhatsApp continues to face legal challenges in the EU, which may have significant implications for its operations in Europe.
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- Increased Fine: The Irish data protection authority raised the fine against WhatsApp to €225 million ($268 million) in 2021, influenced by the European Data Protection Board, highlighting the regulators' emphasis on data privacy.
- Appeal Rejected: Meta's appeal against this fine was dismissed by a lower tribunal, which stated that Meta was not directly affected by the EDPB's decision, potentially influencing Meta's compliance strategies moving forward.
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- Capital Expenditure Plans: The company expects capital expenditures to range from $115 billion to $135 billion in 2026, representing a staggering 73% year-over-year growth compared to $72.2 billion in 2025, reflecting strong confidence in future growth opportunities.
- Core Business Optimization: CFO Susan Li emphasized that Meta will prioritize investments to enhance its core business, particularly in AI-driven ad recommendations, which not only unlocks additional value from existing products but also sets the stage for an exciting new product cycle.
- Profitability Resilience: Despite a 40% year-over-year surge in costs and expenses, Meta managed to achieve an 11% growth in earnings per share, demonstrating resilience during its investment cycle, while management's Q1 revenue guidance suggests a growth of 26% to 34%, further boosting market confidence.
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- Stock Price Rebound: Snap Inc.'s shares jumped 5% in early Tuesday trading, quickly becoming one of the most active stocks on Stocktwits, reflecting retail investors' optimism about its future performance, despite the stock having declined in eight of the last nine trading sessions.
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- Litigation Continuation: The EU's top court ruled that WhatsApp's lawsuit against the EU privacy watchdog is admissible, meaning the case will return to a lower tribunal, prolonging the five-year legal battle between WhatsApp and EU regulators.
- Fine Increase Context: The Irish data protection authority raised WhatsApp's fine to €225 million (approximately $268 million) in 2021 following intervention from the European Data Protection Board, prompting strong opposition and an appeal from WhatsApp.
- Appeal Outcome: WhatsApp lost its appeal in the lower court, with judges stating that the company was not directly concerned by the EDPB's decision and that the Irish watchdog had discretion in its final ruling, underscoring the authority of regulatory bodies.
- Case Reference: The case is designated as C-97/23P Whatsapp Ireland v EDPB, indicating that WhatsApp continues to face legal challenges in the EU, which may have significant implications for its operations in Europe.
See More
EU Court Extends WhatsApp's Privacy Legal Battle
- Legal Battle Continues: The EU Court ruled that WhatsApp's appeal against the EU privacy watchdog is admissible, prolonging a five-year legal struggle that may impact WhatsApp's operational strategies in Europe.
- Increased Fine: The Irish data protection authority raised the fine against WhatsApp to €225 million ($268 million) in 2021, influenced by the European Data Protection Board, highlighting the regulators' emphasis on data privacy.
- Appeal Rejected: Meta's appeal against this fine was dismissed by a lower tribunal, which stated that Meta was not directly affected by the EDPB's decision, potentially influencing Meta's compliance strategies moving forward.
- Case Reference: This case, identified as C-97/23P WhatsApp Ireland v EDPB, signifies that WhatsApp continues to face legal challenges regarding data privacy, which could lead to a stricter regulatory environment.
See More
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- Controversial Ad Content: Anthropic's Super Bowl ad directly targets OpenAI by stating, 'Ads are coming to AI but not to Claude,' sparking widespread discussion and indicating the intensifying competition within the AI industry.
- Market Reaction: Marketing professor Scott Galloway described the ad as a 'seminal moment' in the AI rivalry, highlighting that users often share their fears and anxieties with chatbots, reflecting the potential applications of AI in mental health.
- OpenAI's Pushback: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman issued a strong rebuttal to the ad, labeling it 'dishonest' and 'deceptive,' asserting that the company would never showcase its products in such a manner, which reveals a defensive stance from the market leader.
- AI Safety Concerns: As AI technology evolves, researchers have found that chatbots can absorb biases and provide misleading feedback, posing risks to users and raising growing concerns about ethics and safety in AI development.
See More
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- Significant Revenue Growth: Meta reported a 24% year-over-year revenue increase in Q4, with ad impressions up 18% and average ad prices rising 6%, indicating strong performance in its advertising business that is expected to drive future revenue growth.
- Substantial Capital Expenditure Increase: The company projects capital expenditures for 2026 to range between $115 billion and $135 billion, representing a 73% increase from $72.2 billion in 2025, reflecting Meta's commitment to investing in future AI-driven product cycles and core business, which could yield significant returns for shareholders.
- Sustained Business Momentum: Despite only an 11% year-over-year growth in earnings per share in Q4, the company managed to achieve this amidst a 40% rise in costs and expenses, showcasing the resilience and potential profitability of its core business.
- Optimistic Outlook: Management's guidance for Q1 revenue suggests a year-over-year growth of 26% to 34%, and even after adjusting for foreign exchange impacts, the strong business momentum indicates that Meta is well-positioned for competitive growth in the market.
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