Brussels. Meta Platforms and other big firms must offer users the option to use their services for free without targeted advertising, the European Union (EU) privacy watchdog said on Wednesday, in response to a payment service without advertising that has unleashed criticism.
The US tech giant launched the ad-free subscription service for Facebook and Instagram in Europe in November, claiming that users who consent to being tracked get a free service that is funded by advertising revenue.
Privacy activists and consumer groups say these practices could encourage other companies to follow suit. National privacy regulators in the Netherlands, Norway and Germany subsequently asked the European Data Protection Board (JEPD) for an opinion on the validity of such consent.
“If data controllers choose to charge a fee for access to the ‘equivalent alternative’, they should seriously consider offering an additional alternative. This free alternative should not include behavioral advertising,” the JEPD said in a statement.
An example could be a form of advertising with less or no personal data.
According to the watchdog, a third option is important as most users do not fully understand the implications of their decisions when asked to choose between paying for an ad-free service or agreeing to be tracked in exchange for a free service. financed by advertising revenue.
Companies that only offer a binary option to users may fail to meet the requirements for valid consent under EU privacy rules.
The American technology giant referred to its previous blogs on Wednesday, in which it stated that the “ad-free subscription” complies with a ruling from the EU Court of Justice that supports this type of model as a way for people to give their opinion. consent to data processing for targeted advertising.
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– 2024-04-26 07:15:43
