The social media giant’s new model is facing its first privacy challenges in the EU as an Austrian digital rights group filed a complaint. Here’s all you need to know.
After less than a month after its launch, Meta’s ad-free subscription for European users is facing its first privacy troubles in the EU.
Austria-based digital rights group Noyb (stylized as noyb) filed a complaint to the country’s data protection authority on November 28, 2023, warning that such a model will make privacy an exclusive right «for the rich.»
The organization is now urging the Austrian privacy protection body to initiate the procedure to halt what it deemed as an «illegal processing.»Pricey ad-free plans for Facebook and Instagram
Officially launched at the start of November, Facebook and Instagram users in the EU, EEA, and Switzerland can now opt out of all advertisements across the two platforms by paying a subscription fee—and it’s not cheap.
Users must be at least 18 years old to sign-up. They can choose between the cheaper desktop plan for a monthly fee of €9.99, or its smartphone counterpart of €12.99 a month. Until March 1, 2024, the fee will cover all linked profiles in a user’s Accounts Center. After that, a €6 supplement on desktop and €8 on iOS/Android will be applied. Let’s face it, that’s not something that everyone who cares about their privacy can really afford.
In its official announcement, Meta describes the new subscription model as a way to balance «the requirements of European regulators while giving users choice and allowing Meta to continue serving all people in the EU, EEA and Switzerland.
