Facebook ‘is trampling all over European privacy laws’ by tracking people online without their consent says European watchdog 

• Belgium's Privacy Protection Commission launched attack on Facebook
• It accused the social media giant of 'trampling' over EU privacy laws
• Now urging internet users to install privacy software to shield themselves from Facebook's tracking systems - even if they don't have an account 

By Keiligh Baker for MailOnline

Published: 07:05 EST, 15 May 2015 | Updated: 09:36 EST, 15 May 2015

A European privacy watchdog has accused Facebook of 'trampling all over European privacy laws' by tracking people online without their consent while dodging questions from national regulators.

Belgium's Privacy Protection Commission (CPVP/CBPL), which has been working with German, Dutch, French and Spanish counterparts, launched the blistering attack after trying to find out more about the US-based social media giant's practices.

It has now taken the unusual step of urging internet users to install privacy software to shield themselves from Facebook's tracking systems - even if they do not have an account.

Belgium's Privacy Protection Commission launched the blistering attack on Facebook's privacy policies after trying to find out more about the US-based social media giant's practices - particularly its privacy policies 

The show of strength from the Belgian regulator, which does not have the power to levy fines, is part of growing call by the 28-member bloc to demand that big US tech companies abide by European laws.

The Commission has published a report analyzing changes the company made to its privacy policy in January and said: 'Facebook tramples on European and Belgian privacy laws'.

It said in a statement that Facebook has refused to recognise Belgian and other EU national jurisdictions - as the company insists it is subject only to Irish law, which is where its European headquarters are based.

The report also found that 'Facebook has shown itself particularly miserly in giving precise answers,' adding that the results of the study by a group of researchers were 'disconcerting'.Facebook 'is trampling over European privacy laws' by tracking people without consent