Meta Pledge To Use Less Personal Data For Ads Gets EU Nod, Avoids Daily Fines (reuters.com) 17
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: Meta's proposal to use less personal data for targeted advertising in its pay-or-consent model that will be rolled out next month won the approval of EU antitrust regulators on Monday, signaling the company will not face daily fines after all. [...] The U.S. tech giant has been locked in discussions with the European Commission after getting hit with a $233 million fine in April for breaching the Digital Markets Act aimed at reining in the power of Big Tech. The violation covered Facebook and Instagram in the period from November 2023 to November 2024, after which Meta tweaked its pay-or-consent model to use less personal data for targeted advertising.
The EU executive has been examining the changes to see if they comply with the DMA, with Meta risking daily fines of as much as 5% of its average daily worldwide turnover if found to be still in breach of the law. The tweaks are in wording, design and transparency to remind users of the two options. Meta did not plan on any substantial changes to its November proposal despite the risk of EU fines, people with direct knowledge of the matter had told Reuters. The Commission, which acts as the EU competition enforcer, acknowledged Meta's November proposal, saying that it will monitor the new ad model and seek feedback, with no more talk of periodic fines. "Meta will give users the effective choice between consenting to share all their data and seeing fully personalized advertising, and opting to share less personal data for an experience with more limited personalized advertising," the Commission said in a statement.
The EU executive has been examining the changes to see if they comply with the DMA, with Meta risking daily fines of as much as 5% of its average daily worldwide turnover if found to be still in breach of the law. The tweaks are in wording, design and transparency to remind users of the two options. Meta did not plan on any substantial changes to its November proposal despite the risk of EU fines, people with direct knowledge of the matter had told Reuters. The Commission, which acts as the EU competition enforcer, acknowledged Meta's November proposal, saying that it will monitor the new ad model and seek feedback, with no more talk of periodic fines. "Meta will give users the effective choice between consenting to share all their data and seeing fully personalized advertising, and opting to share less personal data for an experience with more limited personalized advertising," the Commission said in a statement.
Sounds like (Score:3)
Meta - just a tip (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
So true! This caving is only under regulatory duress and I doubt it'll apply outside the EU.
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They are still raping everyone's privacy.
So true, it's like Stewie discovering the truth [youtube.com] behind his favorite show.
we promise not to be evil... (Score:2)
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At least Zucker did declare all his users as dumb fucks from the outset.
Yeah, but did they pinkie swear? (Score:4, Insightful)
I'll bet they had their fingers crossed behind their back.
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If you think Meta doesn't already censor accounts all over the world on behalf of the United States, I have a space elevator to sell you. For example, make an off-hand comment about how easily Canada could manufacture a dirty bomb as protection against US aggression and watch limitations start to be applied to your activities. Meanwhile, Russian bot pages continue to be treated as honoured guests.
\o/ (Score:1)
One base pair from an uninteresting part of each user/shadow-user's DNA.
Sharing is caring (Score:2)
I was using tent heater reviews on Youtube, lo and behold, the very brand I was gravitating towards on YT, shows up in my FB feed. Other times, similar things happen.
I don't consider it a huge invasion of privacy, but the creepy level goes up to 11 that I'd much rather not have. I hate to see how much of that happens with a computer that isn't battened down hard.
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Maybe they are just reading each other's cookies?
I thought of that, but I dump cookies on exit. So unless they've found a new place to sneak them onto my machine, that probably isn't it.
Right... (Score:2)
Using personal data for ads is pointless (Score:2)
Meta has lots and lots of information about me and my friends.
But the ads I see on Facebook are utterly bewildering.
I get ads for software to run my dental practice, law firm, or church.
I get ads for preparation services for some social-work exam I've never heard of.
I get ads for audio engineering tools.
I get ads for addiction treatment services.
The list goes on and on. None of this stuff has the slightest relevance to me.
If you're paying to advertise on Facebook, I say you're probably getting ripped off.