The European Consumer Rights Consortium accuses Facebook and Instagram owner Meta of using a privacy “smokescreen” to hide what it deems a “large-scale and illegal” data collection scheme. A scathing new report has been released.
In particular, the European Consumer Agency said that Meta’s November 2023 policy of charging European Union residents a monthly privacy fee if they do not want to be tracked is an EU privacy law known as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Alleges that it is in violation.
According to Euronews.next, the program will charge users 9.99 euros per month for ad-free access to the Meta platform via a web browser, and 12.99 euros per month for iOS or Android app users.
In a handout attached to Thursday’s report, BEUC described the program as a “disguise of consent that does not actually give consumers a free choice.”
“GDPR requires that consent… be given freely,” they write, “Meta, on the other hand, uses consent models to coerce consumers into accepting processing of their personal data. “.
Consumer groups in the Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, France, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain have lodged formal complaints with their respective national regulators against the policy.
A spokesperson for the Norwegian Data Protection Authority told CNN that the agency is “gravely concerned” by Meta’s practices.
“Data protection is a human right for everyone, not a privilege reserved for the wealthy,” they said. “Our hope is that the complaints will trigger stronger regulation at European level.”
Mehta did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment. But in a 2023 blog after defending the program, the company said the “ad-free subscription” option was its best effort to meet “a unique combination of related and sometimes overlapping EU regulatory obligations.” Stated.
“We are focused on an ad-supported digital business model because it is the foundation of an inclusive internet where everyone can access online services and content for free,” Mehta said. .
European regulators last year fined Meta a record €1.2 billion for failing to comply with GDPR rules and “systematically, repeatedly and continuously” transferring users’ personal data to the US. imposed.
