Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, will soon give European Union users the power to decide how much personal data is used for advertising. Starting January 2026, EU users can choose between fully personalised ads or a more limited ad experience with less personal data. This marks the first time Meta will offer such an option to its users.
The announcement follows ongoing discussions with the European Commission after Meta was found in breach of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in April 2025. The breach related to the social network’s pay-or-consent advertising model, which regulators said did not meet EU standards for data protection. Meta was subsequently fined €200 million ($233 million) for the violation.
Under the new system, EU users can either consent to share all their personal data to continue receiving fully personalised ads or limit the data they share and see fewer targeted ads. The European Commission described this as giving users an “effective choice” over their advertising experience, a step seen as essential for respecting user privacy in digital advertising.
This change is part of broader regulatory pressure on major tech companies. Meta has faced several fines in recent years, including a record €1.2 billion penalty in 2023 for transferring EU users’ data to the U.S. without proper protections. The company has also faced sanctions in Nigeria and other jurisdictions for privacy violations, highlighting ongoing global concerns about data handling and consent.
For EU Facebook and Instagram users, the new options will provide more control over personal data and how it is used in advertising. While this may reduce the number of fully targeted ads some users see, it reflects growing efforts by tech platforms to comply with privacy laws and respond to public concerns about digital data rights.
source: nairametics