Meta's 'Pay or Consent' Approach Faces E.U. Competition Rules Scrutiny

The European Commission said the company's "pay or consent" advertising model is in contravention of the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

"This binary choice forces users to consent to the combination of their personal data and fails to provide them a less personalized but equivalent version of Meta's social networks," the Commission said.

It also noted that companies in gatekeeper roles must seek users' permission to combine their personal data between designated core platform services and other services (e.g., advertising) and that users who refuse to opt in should have access to a less personalized but equivalent alternative.