To comply with European regulators after finding itself on the wrong side of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Meta announced today that it will offer users in the EU, EEA and Switzerland the option of a monthly subscription fee Pay to Facebook and Instagram without ads.
The key is that people’s information is not used for advertising while they are subscribed. If they continue to use the Services for free, they will continue to receive targeted advertising.
“Whether people choose to use our products for free with ads or opt-in to stop seeing ads, we’re committed to keeping people’s data private and secure, both within our own guidelines as well as within the framework of the GDPR.”
The subscription costs €9.99 per month on the web or €12.99 per month on iOS and Android and applies to all linked Facebook and Instagram accounts. The prices for iOS and Android take into account the costs charged by Apple and Google.
The initial subscription covers all of a user’s connected accounts until March 1, 2024. After that, each additional account has an additional fee of €6 per month on the web and €8 per month on iOS and Android. The ad-free subscription is available to people aged 18 and over. “We continue to explore how we can provide teenagers with a useful and responsible advertising experience given the changing regulatory landscape.”
Meta said it strongly believes in an ad-supported internet: “But we respect the spirit and purpose of these evolving European regulations and are committed to complying with them.”
The EU fined Meta $1.3 billion in May for violating data protection rules by sending user data in Europe to servers in the United States. After a legal dispute, the EU effectively banned the platform from collecting user data from its platforms for targeted advertising without users’ consent.
“The option for people to buy a subscription without advertising balances the requirements of European regulators, while giving users freedom of choice and allowing Meta to continue serving all people in the EU, EEA and Switzerland. ” The ECJ “expressly recognized in its judgment that a subscription model as we announce is a valid form of consent for an advertising-supported service,” Meta said.
“In August, we announced our intention to move people in the EU, EEA and Switzerland to the GDPR legal basis of ‘consent’ for the purpose of processing data collected on our own platforms for advertising purposes.”
“We have made this change to address a number of evolving and emerging regulatory requirements in the region. It also includes how our main data protection authority in the EU, the Irish Data Protection Commission, interprets the GDPR following a recent ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) and anticipates the entry into force of the Digital Markets Act (DMA). ).”
The DMA, one of the centers of the European digital strategy, addresses the problems of some large online platforms that act as “gatekeepers” in digital markets. The goal is to identify gatekeepers and “ensure that these platforms behave fairly online,” according to the European Commission’s website.
Source: Deadline
Elizabeth Cabrera is an author and journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest news and trends, Elizabeth is dedicated to delivering informative and engaging articles that keep readers informed on the latest developments.
