In a recent move, European consumer protection authorities are supporting complaints against the internet company Meta in order to take action against the company's ‘pay-or-consent’ policy.
This policy forces Facebook and Instagram users to either share their data for personalized advertising or pay a fee. Consumer protection organizations argue that this violates consumers' rights to privacy and fair choice. Meta has also been criticized for misleading consumers into believing that their data will be tracked less if they pay this fee. The support of the authorities has increased the pressure on Meta to rethink its practices and be more transparent in its handling of user data.
So far, Meta has been asked by consumer protection associations to propose solutions to the problem by September 1, 2024, to which Agustín Reyna, Director General of the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC), said: “We now urge Meta to change its pay-or-consent choice screen as soon as possible and in a way that provides consumers with a fair and freely-given choice. Meta must test any changes before rolling them out to demonstrate compliance with all relevant laws.”
Source: BEUC
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