Meta's controversial "pay or consent" initiative, which forces European Union users to either pay for an ad-free experience or consent to being tracked and profiled, continues to draw criticism from consumer rights groups across the EU.
The subscription charges users a monthly fee to opt out of targeted advertising on Facebook and Instagram, posing a dilemma where users must choose between privacy and unrestricted access to the platforms.
This picture taken on April 27, 2023 in Toulouse, southwestern France, shows a screen displaying the Meta logo and the European flag.
Consumer Groups File Complaints Against Meta
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC), representing eight consumer rights groups, has announced the filing of complaints with national data protection authorities against Meta's controversial policy.
These complaints are grounded in concerns that Meta's approach allegedly violates fundamental principles of fair data processing, data minimization, and purpose limitation outlined in the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)
"Its unfair 'pay-or-consent' choice is the company's latest effort to legalise its business model. But Meta's offer to consumers is smoke and mirrors to cover up what is, at its core, the same old hoovering up of all kinds of sensitive information about people's lives which it then monetises through its invasive advertising model," said Ursula Pachl, Deputy Director General of BEUC.
"Surveillance-based business models pose all kinds of problems under the GDPR and it's time for data protection authorities to stop Meta's unfair data processing and its infringing of people's fundamental rights," she added.
In Meta's Defense
In response to previous criticisms, Meta has defended its stance, arguing that personalized advertising supported by user data is essential for maintaining free access to online services.
The company justifies its approach by emphasizing the economic benefits of personalized advertising for businesses and users. However, the evolving regulatory landscape in Europe, marked by stricter interpretations of data protection laws, has compelled Meta to offer alternatives to ad-supported services.
Meta's introduction of the "subscription for no ads" option aims to provide users in the EU, EEA, and Switzerland with an alternative to personalized advertising. This subscription-based model allows users to opt out of targeted ads by paying a monthly fee for an ad-free experience on Facebook and Instagram.
Tech Crunch reported that Meta currently charges regional users €9.99 per month on web, or €12.99 monthly on mobile, to opt out of seeing any adverts per linked Facebook and Instagram accounts.
Meta contends that this approach aligns with recent regulatory developments and court rulings, including the endorsement of subscription services as a valid consent mechanism by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).
Despite Meta's assertions, consumer rights groups remain skeptical of the company's motives and question the effectiveness of its consent solution.
"Whether people choose to use our products for free with ads or subscribe to stop seeing ads, we are committed to keeping people's information private and secure, under our own policies as well as the EU's GDPR," Meta wrote in a blog post last year.
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