Facebook has had its share of regulatory troubles in Europe over the last few years, especially regarding the way the social network handles user privacy. The company is currently undergoing a case in the Irish High Court that was brought on by Austrian privacy activist Max Schrems, who filed a class action lawsuit against Facebook last year.

“This is about limiting what Facebook can do with Europeans’ data,” Schrems told The New York Times at the time. “How much should they be allowed to dig into the souls of their users? That’s what we’re fighting for.”

Now, in a move that Schrems has called “unusual,” the US government has said that it will now take part in the case as an amicus curiae, or “friend of the court,” which means that it will offer testimony on the matter despite not being directly involved in the case.

While he has called the involvement of the US government in the case with Facebook “an unusual move,” he also believes that this could have a positive impact on the case, as it will allow him to pose some interesting questions on the nature of US surveillance.

“This may be a unique opportunity for us,” Schrems said in a statement. “I therefore very much welcome that the US government will get involved in this case. This is a huge chance to finally get solid answers in a public procedure. I am very much looking forward to raise all the uncomfortable questions on US surveillance programs in this procedure. It will be very interesting how the US government will react to the clear evidence already before the court.”

Schrems noted that due to the nature of EU law, the US representative in the case could face serious legal trouble if he or she does not answer the court’s questions fully and truthfully.

Image courtesy of Facebook Inc