European Users Can Now Reduce Personal Ads on Facebook & Instagram
â–¼ Summary
– Meta will offer Instagram and Facebook users in the EU a choice to limit personalized ads starting in January 2026.
– Users can either consent to share all data for fully personalized ads or opt to share less data for more limited ad personalization.
– This change results from a dialogue between the EU and Meta to comply with the bloc’s tech regulations.
– The move follows a €200 million fine against Meta in April for violating the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
– The fine was issued because Meta previously forced users to either pay a subscription fee or consent to data use for ads.
Meta is set to introduce a significant change for its users across the European Union, offering them a new way to manage their advertising experience on Facebook and Instagram. Starting in January 2026, individuals will have the option to reduce the level of personalized ads they see, a move designed to align with the region’s stringent digital regulations. This development marks a notable shift, providing a middle ground between fully tailored advertising and a more limited data-sharing model.
The European Commission confirmed the rollout, stating it results from ongoing discussions with the tech giant. Users will effectively face a choice: they can consent to share their data for fully personalized ads, or they can opt to share less personal information and receive advertising that is less specifically targeted to their interests. This initiative represents the first instance where Meta’s social networks are providing such a granular control over ad personalization directly to European users.
This policy adjustment comes directly in response to regulatory pressure. Earlier this year, Meta incurred a substantial fine of 200 million euros for practices that were found to violate the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The core issue centered on the company’s previous approach, which presented users with a binary and controversial choice: either pay a monthly subscription fee to use an ad-free version of the platforms or consent to having their personal data utilized for advertising purposes on the free, ad-supported versions.
The DMA explicitly mandates that consumers must be given a genuine choice regarding how their data is employed for advertising, a requirement the old system was deemed to circumvent. The forthcoming changes aim to rectify this by introducing a less intrusive advertising model that does not rely on extensive personal data tracking. Following the implementation next month, EU authorities plan to monitor the adoption rate of the new options and evaluate their overall impact on the user experience.
This development is a clear signal of the growing influence of European digital governance on global tech operations. By compelling platforms to offer more transparent and user-centric data controls, the DMA is reshaping how advertising models function within the bloc. For millions of users, it promises a future where they can engage with social media while exercising greater autonomy over their personal information and the advertisements they encounter daily.
(Source: The Verge)
