The European Data Protection Board said Wednesday it had adopted a binding decision that will result in Facebook and Instagram owner Meta being banned from using the personal data of users for targeted advertisements.

The order will “impose a ban on the processing of personal data for behavioural advertising on the legal bases of contract and legitimate interest across the entire European Economic Area,” the EDPB said in a statement posted on its website.

The EDPD said it took the decision following a request from Norway’s data regulator, which earlier this year imposed a ban on sending Facebook and Instagram users targeted advertisements based on their personal data which the social media platform collects without their explicit consent.

The EDPB decision forces Ireland’s data regulator, which has authority over Meta’s operations in Europe, to take final measures on the issue within two weeks, with a ban to enter force a week later.

The statement said Meta was informed Tuesday of the EDPB’s decision and indicated that it plans to ask for consent to use personal data to target ads that users see when they use the apps.

“The EDPB takes note of Meta’s proposal to rely on a consent based approach as legal basis” and said this was being evaluated.

Facebook had some 300 million daily users in Europe at the end of 2022, out of about two billion users worldwide, with Europeans generating about a fifth of Meta’s advertising sales.

Losing the ability to target ads may deal a financial blow to Meta if advertisers reduce their spending.

EDPB Chairwoman Anu Talus said in a statement that the decision to impose a ban was taken after Meta was found not to have complied with orders issued at the end of least year.

“It is high time for Meta to bring its processing into compliance and to stop unlawful processing,” she said.

The Tamil Nadu Forest Department’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) based surveillance mechanism, established on a pilot project basis, started recording elephant movements on railway track in Madhukkarai in Coimbatore, a senior government official said on Wednesday.

The surveillance system has 12 towers fitted with both thermal and normal cameras, installed at strategic locations along the railway track for early detection of animal movement, Additional Chief Secretary, Environment Climate Change & Forests, Supriya Sahu, said.

The AI based surveillance mechanism set up by TN Forest Dept has started recording elephant movements on Railway tracks in pilot project mode in Madhukkarai at Coimbatore. The surveillance system has 12 towers fitted with both thermal and normal cameras, installed at strategic… pic.twitter.com/kfimcFZ2N3

— Supriya Sahu IAS (@supriyasahuias) November 1, 2023

“The sensed data is automatically transferred to the control room set up on the site that processes the data collected from the field on real-time basis and alerts loco pilots through calls and SMS,” she said in a post on the social media platform “X”.

This area has seen several tragic elephant deaths due to collisions with trains. “We are trying our best to prevent these collisions through the use of modern technology, which can be a big boon in preventing elephant deaths in such areas,” Supriya Sahu said posting a video. 

Mumbai is at 4th position among 46 cities globally in terms of price rise of luxury residential properties, according to Knight Frank.

Real estate consultant Knight Frank India on Wednesday released ‘Prime Global Cities Index Q3 2023’ and said Mumbai, Bengaluru and New Delhi recorded an increase in average annual prices of prime residential or luxury homes in the July-September period.

“Mumbai recorded the 4th highest year-on-year growth in prime residential prices in Q3 2023. The 6.5 per cent increase in prime residential prices has moved the city up by 18 places from 22nd rank in Q3 2022,” Knight Frank said.

New Delhi and Bengaluru also recorded an upward movement in their index rankings.

NCR moved to 10th in the third quarter (July-September) of 2023 with a growth of 4.1 per cent year-on-year from 36th rank in the year-ago period.

Bengaluru’s rank increased to 17th rank in the quarter under review against 27th rank in the third quarter of 2022, a year-on-year growth of 2.2 per cent.