European consumer organizations: Meta's paid ad-free service may violate EU privacy laws.

The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) said on Thursday that Meta Platforms' revised paid ad-free subscription service may violate EU consumer and privacy laws, in addition to antitrust laws. The organization urged regulators to take action against the American tech giant. Meta launched paid services for its Facebook and Instagram platforms in 2023, offering European users the option to receive less personalized ads and reducing the fees by 40% last year. BEUC lodged a complaint with consumer protection authorities in 2023 regarding this paid service, arguing that the changes made last year were only superficial. BEUC Director General Agustin Reyna said, "In our view, this tech giant has failed to address the fundamental issue of Facebook and Instagram users not having a fair choice, and continues to push users to use its behavioral advertising system while claiming to comply with EU law without evidence." He added, "It is crucial that consumers, data protection authorities, and the European Commission swiftly investigate Meta's latest policies and take immediate effective action to protect consumers if necessary." BEUC alleged that Meta's misleading practices and unclear terms lead users to choose its preferred options. The consumer organization also stated that users cannot freely consent to their data being processed, and Meta does not make efforts to minimize the data collected from users. Additionally, BEUC accused Meta of lowering the quality of services for users who do not consent to the use of their personal data. Meta, on the other hand, stated that last year's changes were in response to requirements from EU regulators. In July last year, the company was accused by EU antitrust regulators of violating the Digital Markets Act, claiming that its paid ad-free service posed a binary choice for users.