As Meta pushes back against rules governing targeted publicity, it appears to be trying to annoy users into submission
Instagram users who do not opt into Meta’s ‘pay or consent’ model will see unskippable ads appearing in their feeds. Photo: Getty
Instagram users may have noticed a change in their app experience over the last week: strange pop-ups that you cannot skip, vague regulatory language dressed up in preppy social media speak, blue hyperlinks that don’t offer any clarifying information. This is just another step in Meta’s plan to skirt EU regulation.
In November 2023, in order to comply, Meta implemented a “pay or consent” model for targeted ads. Users could either pay a subscription fee of €7.99 a month to opt out of ads, or agree to the processing of their data for advertising purposes. It was a move that was nothing short of a middle finger raised directly at the EU. It did not offer a meaningful way for users to consent to their data being processed, and it aimed to annoy users into opposing regulations.
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