Leipzig user wins in court: 5,000 euros thanks to data protection lawsuit!

Leipzig user wins in court: 5,000 euros thanks to data protection lawsuit!

In a pioneering judgment, the Leipzig district court decided that Facebook user André Fricke should receive a compensation of 5,000 euros from Meta Platforms Ireland. The 41-year-old Leipziger had sued the group for violating data protection law. The judgment, which happened on July 4, 2025, could have far-reaching consequences for millions of Facebook users in Germany, which could also assert claims to compensation according to Art. 82 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This judgment shows the increasing responsibility of large tech companies for the data protection of their users.

The compensation was justified by the court with considerable data protection violations that Meta committed. The company processes personal data in a way that not only endangers the privacy of the users, but also indicates massive monitoring of online behavior. The processing also takes place via the META business tools, which collect and process data from users without registering on Facebook or Instagram. The transfer of data to the USA and its evaluation is a central element of the lawsuit, such as Medienervice.sachsen.de

background of the judgment

courts in Europe, in particular the European Court of Justice (ECJ), have found that such practices contradict the legal requirements of the GDPR. In this context, the Leipzig court was based on these findings and found that the amount of the compensation for pain and suffering can not only be viewed in a national framework. Instead, it reflects the enormous economic value that personal data have for the company, especially with regard to META advertising revenues, which were USD 115 billion in 2021. All in all, the judgment shows a worrying reality for users of social media.

The court is aware of the potential consequences of his judgment and acknowledges that a wave of similar complaints could occur, since many users may also consider compensation. This statement could lead to the fact that META and similar companies have to fundamentally rethink their data protection management. The judgment could ultimately prove to be a precedent for future legal disputes and represents a significant step in the struggle for data protection in the digital world.

The legal disputes about data protection in large Tech companies are not new, but the Leipzig judgment increases the discussion about the responsibility of such companies towards their users. It remains to be seen how this situation will develop and what measures META will take into account in response to the judgment.