European Union Finds Meta's "Pay for Privacy" Model Violates Digital Rules

The European Union (EU) has accused Meta, the owner of Facebook, of violating digital rules by forcing millions of users across the EU to choose between paying for services or consenting to have their personal data used. The EU's executive arm, the European Commission (EC), claims that Meta's advertising model violates the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in two ways: it does not allow users to opt for a service that uses less of their personal data and it breaches competition law by forcing users into a "pay or consent" binary choice. The EC has given Meta an opportunity to review the evidence and defend its decision, but if found guilty, Meta could face penalties.