Coalition Urges EU Data Protection Board to Reject Meta’s “Consent or Pay” Tactic

European Data Protection Board Urged to Reject Meta’s “Consent or Pay” Tactic

A coalition of more than two dozen digital and democratic rights groups, NGOs, and not-for-profits have come together to urge the European Union’s regulatory body for data protection to reject a controversial tactic employed by Meta in its latest attempt to circumvent the bloc’s privacy laws.

The tactic in question, dubbed “consent or pay,” involves offering users a choice between paying for an ad-free subscription or agreeing to be tracked and profiled by Meta. This approach has raised concerns among privacy advocates, who argue that it undermines the fundamental right to data protection and could reshape the web for the worse.

Last year, Meta announced that it would require users in the EU to consent to tracking and profiling in order to receive targeted ads. However, the only alternative offered to users was to pay for a premium subscription, effectively eliminating the possibility of freely given consent as required by the GDPR.

The coalition of NGOs, including prominent organizations such as noyb and Wikimedia Europe, has raised these concerns with the European Data Protection Board (EDPB), calling the “pay or okay” tactic a threat to privacy rights in Europe. They argue that allowing companies to monetize consent in this way could set a dangerous precedent and erode the protections provided by the GDPR.

The EDPB has been asked to weigh in on the issue by several national data protection authorities, and it is expected to issue an opinion on the matter in the coming months. The outcome of this decision could have far-reaching implications for companies with surveillance-based business models like Meta, as well as for internet users across the region.

The coalition of NGOs is urging the EDPB to firmly oppose the “pay or okay” model to prevent a significant loophole in the GDPR. They argue that allowing companies to charge users for privacy could undermine the high European data protection standard and pave the way for widespread surveillance capitalism.

As the EDPB prepares to issue its opinion on the matter, all eyes are on the regulatory body to see how it will navigate this contentious issue. The outcome of this decision could shape the future of data protection and the internet in Europe for years to come.