Meta faces EU charges on user privacy tech rules
Meta’s legal case follows recent charges against Apple for breaching the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), demonstrating the bloc’s stringent stance on regulating major tech firms.
The EU antitrust regulators have charged Meta Platforms with violating landmark tech rules through its new ‘pay or consent’ advertising model for Facebook and Instagram. The model, introduced last November, offers users a choice between a free, ad-supported service with tracking or a paid, ad-free service. The European Commission argues this binary choice breaches the Digital Markets Act (DMA) by forcing users to consent to data tracking without providing a less personalised but equivalent alternative.
Meta asserts that its model complies with a ruling from EU’s top court and is aligned with the DMA, expressing a willingness to engage with the Commission to resolve the issue. However, if found guilty, Meta could face fines of up to 10% of its global annual turnover. The Commission aims to conclude its investigation by March next year.
The charge follows a recent DMA-related charge against Apple for similar non-compliance, highlighting the EU’s efforts to regulate Big Tech and empower users to control their data.
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