The article discusses the challenge faced by Meta’s EU ad-free subscription due to concerns over its compliance with GDPR regulations regarding consent. The complaint was filed by the non-profit organization NOYS (NOYS – European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights) and is being investigated by the Irish Data Protection Commission.
According to the article, the complainants argue that Meta’s "pay or okay" approach, where users can opt-out of targeted advertising in exchange for a fee, does not meet the requirements for informed consent under GDPR. The complaint cites several European regulatory bodies, including the German and Danish data protection authorities, which emphasize the need for consent to be freely given, voluntary, and granular.
The article highlights four key issues with Meta’s approach:
- Bundling of purposes: The complaint argues that Meta is bundling multiple processing purposes into a single consent, which violates GDPR requirements.
- Lack of transparency: The complainants argue that users are not provided with sufficient information about the data collection and usage practices.
- Non-voluntary consent: The complaint suggests that users are coerced into providing consent by being offered an alternative (paying a fee) rather than having a genuine choice.
- Reasonable price: The Danish regulatory body emphasizes that the pricing of the payment alternative must not be so high that it renders users’ freedom of choice illusory.
The article concludes by noting that Meta has responded to the complaint, but the investigation is ongoing.
