Meta Paid Advertising Model In The Spotlight Of EU Technology Rules Violations

EU antitrust chief, Margrethe Vestager (photo: x @vestager)

JAKARTA - Meta Platforms Inc., formerly known as Facebook, is faced with allegations by the EU antitrust regulator for violating the Digital Markets Act (DMA) with a recently introduced paid or agreed ad model. The model allows users to choose between giving permission to be tracked for free ad-funded services, or paying for ad-free services.

The European Commission, which acts as EU competition enforcers, stated that the binary's choice violates the bloc's rules by forcing users to grant permission to combine their personal data without providing a less personalized but equivalent version of Meta's social network.

"We want to empower citizens to be able to control their own data and choose a less personalized advertising experience," EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager said in a statement.

Meta claims that its model is in accordance with Europe's highest court ruling and complies with DMA. The company hopes to complete this investigation through constructive dialogue with the European Commission.

If found guilty, Meta could face fines of up to 10% of its annual global turnover. These allegations come after similar actions against Apple under the DMA, highlighting continued scrutiny of Big Tech companies in Europe over data privacy and market dominance.