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Although Meta’s data privacy practices have always been a matter of heated debate among many governments, the European Union has been one of the very few governing bodies which have actively imposed restrictions and filed lawsuits against the company. Now, in an effort to resolve these legal challenges, Meta has reportedly proposed an upfront opt-in choice for some of its personalized and targeted ads in the EU.
If the EU accepts Meta’s proposal, it would signify a significant shift in the company’s direction, as users would need to explicitly choose to allow Meta to track their activities and use their data for targeted ads within the social media services. And although the specific impact of this change remains unclear, it is important to note that the EU contributes 23% of the company’s revenue. Therefore, if a substantial number of users opt out of targeted ads, Meta could experience a decline in its main source of income.
Nonetheless, this proposal could be a big win for privacy advocates and users who have been rallying for greater control over the use of their personal data.
Meta’s history of data privacy issues
It’s no secret that Meta has struggled with compliance regarding the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which is designed to protect consumers’ data privacy on the internet. However, Meta’s new proposal comes in response to the Ireland Data Protection Commission’s decision to impose a substantial fine of over $400 million on the company for mishandling user data on Instagram and Facebook and another staggering $1.3 billion fine from the European Data Protection Board for allegedly breaching privacy laws and transferring user data to the US.
Furthermore, Meta’s questionable privacy practices have also led Apple to introduce the “Ask App Not to Track” feature, limiting the amount of data Meta’s services can collect from third-party apps.
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