Overview

• Facebook and Instagram now display unmissable full-screen prompts requiring users in Germany to pay for an ad-free subscription or consent to extensive data processing for personalized ads.
• Subscription fees vary by platform, costing €5.99 per month in browsers and €7.99 within mobile apps, a disparity drawing criticism from regulators.
• Even users who pay for ad-free access remain subject to Meta’s continued data collection for content personalization, research and product improvements.
• Verbraucherzentrale Nordrhein-Westfalen filed the suit at the Oberlandesgericht Köln after the OLG Düsseldorf ruled in February that Meta’s original subscription buttons were unlawful.
• The legal battle will assess whether Meta’s interface design undermines transparent and voluntary consent as required under the EU’s GDPR.