Recently a European Court has judged that Meta’s way of collecting and using people’s data in Europe has been in violation of privacy regulations between 2018 and 2023. Now Meta announced an option of Facebook and Instagram without personalized ads for 120 euros per year. European users would have the option to pay or agree to personalized ads. But is your right to privacy for sale? Let’s find out!
Well… Meta isn’t a charity so they need to have a monetization model. If something is free then you are the product. Is 120 euros not worth your privacy? If the answer is “no” then your choice is to accept the ads or not to use the platform. I don’t see how this is a problem.
So, that blog post is by Tutanota who, as we’re all aware, also offer a paid-for product. But there’s a lot of difference between a paid-for product that will only respect your privacy if you pay for it (and even that is questionable) and a paid-for product that just does respect your privacy, even on their free tier.
And, as others have said, Meta have made little to no mention of several things about this paid-for model:
point 3 is actually irrelevent unless this is done for propaganda reasons (highly likely though). theres no reason they wouldnt want to make a large amount of money and offering a choice that wasnt there before isnt a scenario where we’re somehow worse off - at the worse we’re the same
Is it really a choice though if you want to be private but you can’t afford 13 euros a month?
It’s not the fact they’re charging that’s the issue, it’s the fact they’re charging such a massive amount of money.
Well, the first question would be if the revenues that meta makes are comparable. Because if they are not an argument can be made it is not a real alternative.
Second, the data COLLECTION, storage and processing is the issue. And all info on the subscription seems to suggest that does not change. Just the ad serving.
Lastly what about all users that don’t have a Facebook account but are tracked regardless. Meta and the other privacy-invasion companies should not be allowed too track me wholesale without my explicit consent, and luckily the law is on my side.
The first problem is that logic may go against the GDPR. The second problem is that by having this plan they’re essentially confirming they don’t other user privacy.
Meta is Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp right? Some people would argue it could harm your social life to not be on those, depending on your social circle of course. Now if it becomes lose friends or pay or lose privacy, this might not be an actual choice but a one made for you.
The other problem is when legislation makes privacy a right, you can’t then have a company sell it to you. That’s like a company charging you to vote because all voting booths happen to be standing in their buildings.
Your response tickles my brain. Thank you.
I might be wrong, but I think GDPR means in this scenario if you won’t pay, you aren’t consenting to the ads. Meta by GDPR standards should be blocking you, not forcing ads on you.
They can’t create a implicit permission for it.
It does not have to be implicit. Just redirect to a page where you either have to accept or get logged out.
That’s…basically what I said.