EU court leaves Facebook more exposed to privacy challenges

LONDON (AP) — The EU’s top court has ruled Facebook can face privacy challenges from watchdogs in any of the bloc’s member states, not just its lead regulator in Ireland. The ruling on Tuesday has implications for other big tech companies, and could lead to an onslaught of privacy cases across the EU’s 27 member nations. Under strict EU privacy rules, only one country’s national data protection authority has the power to handle legal cases involving cross-border data complaints in a system known as “one-stop shop.” Facebook painted it as a victory, noting that under the ruling the Irish regulator would remain in the lead except in limited circumstances.