Meta's Ad-Free Subscription Service Faces Privacy Complaint in Austria

Privacy rights group noyb argues the cost of the service is disproportionate to the value Meta derives from tracking users, warns of potential domino effect in the industry.

Meta Platforms' ad-free subscription service, launched in Europe, is facing a complaint filed by privacy rights group noyb with Austria's data protection authority.
The subscription service costs €9.99/month on web or €12.99/month on iOS or Android per linked Facebook and Instagram accounts, with an additional fee for each additional account listed in a user’s Account Center from March next year.
Noyb argues that the cost of the subscription is disproportionate to the value Meta derives from tracking users in the region, citing Meta's reported average revenue per user in Europe between Q3 2022 and Q3 2023 was just $16.79.
Noyb contends that if other app makers were to adopt the same approach the cost for users to protect their privacy would inflate significantly, potentially costing several thousands of euros per year for people with an average number of apps installed on their phone.
Noyb is calling for Austrian’s DPA to instigate an urgency procedure to stop what it contends is Meta’s illegal processing and to impose a deterrent fine to prevent others from imitating Meta’s approach.