The Spanish government has launched a significant investigation into Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, following allegations of “systematic and massive” privacy violations against Android users. President Pedro Sánchez announced the move in parliament on Wednesday, vowing that the rule of law would stand above any technological platform.
The international probe suggests Meta utilized a hidden mechanism to monitor the web browsing history of Android users. This alleged tracking spanned from September 2024 until the summer of 2025.
“In Spain, the law is above any algorithm or any large technology platform,” President Sánchez stated firmly. “And anyone who violates our rights will pay the consequences.”
The investigation will involve summoning Meta officials and relevant experts to clarify the full scope of what happened. The goal is to “identify responsibilities and guarantee that the rights and freedoms of citizens have not been systematically and massively violated,” the President explained.
Sánchez also announced a broader set of Big Tech regulatory measures scheduled for the first half of 2026. These forthcoming rules are intended to address critical areas: combating disinformation, enhancing the protection of minors, eradicating hate speech, and curbing the ongoing violation of citizens’ privacy.
This aggressive stance against a US-based tech giant could place a strain on the relationship between the Spanish Government and the current US Administration. However, Spain has a history of pioneering tech taxation; it was the first European country to introduce a tax on tech giants, dubbed the ‘Google tax,’ back in 2018.
President Sánchez delivered a pointed message to the tech oligarchy. “If some people, no matter how powerful they are, which they are, think that they are above good and evil and that the rule of law does not apply to them, we have to tell them loud and clear that they are very wrong,” he asserted. “Our country and Europe are not going to kneel before the lies, hatred and abuse of power of this new technological oligarchy.”
