Have the article read by OpenAI (Beta). Please note that AI translations may take some time to process.Brussels (dpa) – Users of Facebook and Instagram in Europe who access the social media platforms for free will soon have the option for less personalised advertising, the US-based parent company Meta announced.
For about a year, European users of the social media platforms have been able to pay for an ad-free subscription option. But that did not allay the European Union’s privacy concerns.
Meta said on Tuesday that Facebook and Instagram users who do not pay for the monthly subscription will now have the choice to see “significantly” fewer targeted ads. If free users decide they want to see fewer personalised ads, only a small amount of data – such as age, location and gender – will be drawn upon.
But if a European user chooses this option, they will receive advertisements that run for a few seconds and cannot be skipped over.
Meta took a swipe at the EU in its announcement. “We are implementing these significant changes in response to demands from EU regulators, even though the feedback goes beyond what is required in the law,” it said in a statement.
“Studies show that people and businesses prefer personalised ads which support jobs and economic growth, and give people access to free online services.” In addition, the price for ad-free usage of the platforms is to be reduced by 40 percent, Meta said.
The European Commission criticised the fact that users had to choose between a monthly fee for an ad-free version of the platforms and a free version with personalised ads, describing it as an unfair choice.
Investigations are under way into Meta and other tech giants due to far-reaching EU legislation known as the Digital Markets Act, which tries to prevent the firms from exploiting their market positions. It was partly because of this law that Meta introduced subscription models for Facebook and Instagram in Europe. (12 November)
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