Facebook has won a court battle against a German privacy watchdog that
challenged the social networking site's policy requiring users to
register with their real names.
Schleswig-Holstein state's data
protection body said Friday it will appeal the court decision. It argues
the ban on fake names breaches German privacy laws and European rules
designed to protect free speech online.
The administrative court
in northern German Schleswig argued in its ruling Thursday that German
privacy laws weren't applicable because Facebook has its European
headquarters in Ireland which has less far-reaching rules.
The California-based company argues its real name policy protects users.
Germany's
strict privacy rules have posed a legal headache for Facebook, Google
and others in recent years, giving consumers significant rights to limit
the way companies use their information.