Social media giant Meta, formerly Facebook, has introduced a new subscription model in the European Union. This model offers an ad-free experience for a hefty fee or requires users to consent to tracking and profiling for free access to their social networks. But a privacy rights group called noyb has filed a complaint against Meta with Austria’s data protection authority.
They argued that the cost for privacy protection through subscriptions is too high compared to Meta’s earnings from tracking users. noyb emphasized that these high fees for privacy might become an “unaffordable fundamental rights fee” if other apps follow suit, potentially limiting users’ ability to freely choose privacy.
The complaint claims that Meta’s pricing model creates a barrier for EU citizens to freely exercise their right to privacy, going against GDPR’s requirement for “freely given” consent. Meta defended its approach, citing a CJEU ruling that considers a subscription model a valid form of consent for an ad-funded service.
Comparisons to other subscription services like YouTube Premium, Spotify Premium, Netflix, Twitch Turbo, and Reddit’s ad-free offers are drawn, but differences exist in content licensing and pricing structures.
The complaint urged urgent action to stop Meta’s alleged illegal processing and seeks fines to prevent similar privacy exploitation by other companies.
Critics argued that Meta’s high subscription fees seem designed to push users into allowing tracking, ensuring the company maintains revenue from advertisers.
