Platforms should not confront users with 'binary choice' over personal data use

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/14439251

The EU’s Data Protection Board (EDPB) has told large online platforms they should not offer users a binary choice between paying for a service and consenting to their personal data being used to provide targeted advertising.

In October last year, the social media giant said it would be possible to pay Meta to stop Instagram or Facebook feeds of personalized ads and prevent it from using personal data for marketing for users in the EU, EEA, or Switzerland. Meta then announced a subscription model of €9.99/month on the web or €12.99/month on iOS and Android for users who did not want their personal data used for targeted advertising.

At the time, Felix Mikolasch, data protection lawyer at noyb, said: “EU law requires that consent is the genuine free will of the user. Contrary to this law, Meta charges a ‘privacy fee’ of up to €250 per year if anyone dares to exercise their fundamental right to data protection.”

    • jmcs@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
      0·
      7 months ago

      I don’t see why it wouldn’t apply. Their argument that selling user data to target ads is the only way they can be profitable is literally the same as Facebook’s.

    • shrugal@lemm.eeEnglish
      0·
      7 months ago

      I guess it depends on whether it only applies to “large platforms” as the wording of this article suggests. Otherwise it should definitely affect every site with a similar option.