Meta's Ad-Free Subscription Service Accused of Breaching EU Consumer Laws

European Consumer Organization alleges unfair practices and misleading information in Meta's new service

Meta Platforms' ad-free subscription service, launched in Europe this month, has been accused of breaching EU consumer laws by the European Consumer Organization (BEUC) and 18 of its members.
Meta introduced the service, which applies to Facebook and Instagram, in response to EU rules requiring companies to give users a choice on whether their data can be collected and used for targeted ads.
BEUC claims Meta is using unfair, deceptive and aggressive practices, including partially blocking consumers from using the services to force them to make a decision quickly, and providing misleading and incomplete information.
BEUC also alleges that even if users select the new service, their data is likely to continue to be collected and used for other purposes.
The subscription fee for the ad-free service is criticized as being very high, which could deter users and push them to consent to Meta's profiling and tracking.