Meta proposal for less data sharing is approved by European Commission
The European Commission on Monday approved a Meta proposal to give Instagram and Facebook users an option to share less personal data and see fewer personalized ads, a move that comes in response to an EU fine issued against the social media company in April.
Meta has never before offered consumers the choice to share less data. The new option takes effect in the EU in January. The change is a privacy victory for consumers who find highly personalized advertising based on shared data to be intrusive.
The EU executive body’s approval of Meta’s proposal follows a crackdown on the company in the spring. The commission issued a €200 million ($233 million) fine and accused the tech giant of violating the Digital Markets Act (DMA) between November 2023 and November 2024.
“Users in the EU must have full and effective choice, which is their right under the DMA,” a commission press release said.
If the commission had not approved Meta’s proposal, the company would have been on the hook for daily fines.
The agreement comes at a time when Europe is facing increased tensions with U.S. officials over its tough regulation of big tech.
Meta’s proposed changes reportedly make the option to share less data more transparent through tweaks to wording and design.
Suzanne Smalley
is a reporter covering privacy, disinformation and cybersecurity policy for The Record. She was previously a cybersecurity reporter at CyberScoop and Reuters. Earlier in her career Suzanne covered the Boston Police Department for the Boston Globe and two presidential campaign cycles for Newsweek. She lives in Washington with her husband and three children.