Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has announced plans to give users in the European Union the option to limit how much of their personal data is used for advertising on its platforms. The move follows ongoing discussions with the European Commission, which found the company in violation of the Digital Markets Act DMA earlier this year.
According to the Commission, Meta will offer EU users a choice between allowing the company to use all their personal data for fully personalised advertising or opting to share less data in exchange for a more limited ad experience. Meta will give users the effective choice between consenting to share all their data and seeing fully personalised advertising, and opting to share less personal data, the Commission said in a statement. The changes are expected to take effect in January 2026 - the first time such an option will be available.
Meta was fined 200 million in April for breaching the DMA between November 2023 and November 2024, a period during which its pay-or-consent model was deemed non-compliant. The company later revised its model to reduce reliance on personal data, a move aimed at aligning with EU regulatory requirements.
