Norway has succeeded in getting a permanent, EU-wide ban imposed on Meta's collection of user data for targeted ads on Facebook and Instagram. This landmark ruling favors user privacy over corporate interests.
Norway has succeeded in getting the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) to make permanent and extend across Europe its ban on Meta (Facebook's parent company) harvesting user data for targeted ads on Facebook and Instagram.
I wish they would pull out. It's fucking ridiculous that so much of Europe is apparently just ok with using a Meta product for the defacto texting platform (WhatsApp).
Eh, it's not like we started using it because it was Meta's. They bought it when it was already popular, and switching everyone to something else is difficult.
I hate that Meta bought it but I have to admit it is the best messaging app I have ever used for the last 10 years. I guess the enshitification will happen at some point.
Meta's practices also collected protected data like race, religion, and sexual orientation. Meta disputed that it needed explicit consent, arguing that agreeing to terms of service was enough, but courts rejected this.
Oh please let this be the beginning of a global backlash against corporate EULA's and the start of a path towards a few well understood EULA's, similar to how we have a few well understood FOSS licenses.
The purported issue is that they don't have explicit consent for some data points. They apparently responded by saying they were going to charge a subscription.
Why wouldn't they just get consent? I'm sure most fb users will just agree to anything put in front of them.
It's about the part where they can't hide the data collection in the terms and conditions of the site. You have to have a separate clear consent step for them to collect the data.
I bet there is something like what of they don’t consent? Then they have the choice to pay the subscription instead of being denied access to the site and therefore not make any money for Meta.
I'd just like to thank the EU for having the data privacy laws that I suspect most Americans want but can't have because of the fact our country is owned by corporations
Honestly thinking this all week - pretty much every country in the world either voted yes or abstained on the Gaza/Israel ceasefire resolution, except for the U.S. (and a handful of others), who just coincidentally happens to have billions of dollars earmarked every year to go to Israel on the condition they spend it on arms from U.S. companies. That, and its strategic use in the region (access to fossil fuel resources), probably the whole reason.
They're already starting their paid ad-free $10 a month tiers for Europe only. They'll stop showing advertising to underage people "for now". They're going to flood Europe with garbage ads and maximize subscribers that way.
As someone who tried to make a living caring about people's privacy, people don't care. The only time they pretend to is when they need to explain why they buy the new iphone pro model yearly (but they'd turn on a dime if apple said "we're building an ad platform! Look how pretty our ads are!")
I know it's a week-old thread, but I just received the notification on the Instagram app about the subscription and I have a few thoughts. First of all, here it's actually 12 euros.
As a relatively light user - I check Instagram maybe once or twice a day and FB once a week or every two weeks, just to keep in contact with people I don't text -, that's a lot of money to give to Meta for those services.
I'm all for paying to have content without the tracking and the ads, but not 12 euros unfortunately. Which is, I guess, why they chose such a high price.
What would the alternative be? A genuine question. I'm not a Facebook fan at all but here in Denmark so much is on Facebook. Announcements of the local playground, cafés, events, almost everyone uses messenger. It's insane. And if it's not on FB then it's on Instagram.
I will only believe it when I see it. It has been a few years since the EU is threatening a ban and meta threatening to leave the EU, so far none has committed any action.
I can't wait for Facebook to take the time and energy to make two different versions of their platform. One to adhere to the EU regulations, and the other for everyone else that harvests every last bit of data.