Meta’s revised ad-free paid service could breach EU privacy laws, consumer group By Reuters says
Author: Foo Yun Chee
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – REVISED META PLATFORM AD-FREE SERVICE MAY STILL BREACH EU PRIVACY, CONSUMER LAWS, CONSUMER GROUP SAYS
CONSUMER GROUP URGES EU REGULATORS TO ACT AGAINST META-E
Revised ad-free subscription service Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: ) may still violate EU consumer protection and privacy laws in addition to antitrust rules, the European Consumer Organization (BEUC) said on Thursday, urging regulators to act against the US tech giant.
Meta, which introduced a fee-based service for Facebook and Instagram in 2023, has since offered European users the option to receive less personalized ads and cut fees by 40% last year.
BEUC, which complained about the fee-based service to consumer protection authorities in 2023, said the changes made last year were cosmetic.
“In our view, the tech giant is not addressing the fundamental problem that Facebook and Instagram users don’t have a fair choice and is making a weak offer claiming to be compliant with EU laws, while still pushing users towards its behavioral ad system,” the CEO said. BEUC’s Agustin Reyna.
“It is important that consumer and data protection authorities and the European Commission quickly investigate Meta’s latest policy and, if necessary, take immediate and effective measures to protect consumers,” he said.
BEUC claims that Meta’s deceptive practices and unclear terms are steering users towards the preferred option.
The consumer group also said that it is not possible for users to freely consent to the processing of their data and that Meta does not reduce the data it collects from users.
BEUC also accused Meta of degrading service to customers who do not consent to the use of their personal data.
Meta said that last year’s changes were in response to requests from EU regulators. Last July, EU antitrust regulators accused the company of violating the Digital Markets Act, saying its paid, ad-free service presented a binary choice for users.
