The news comes after a leading data regulator in Austria filed a complaint against the organization for not abiding by the law and ignoring the rights belonging to its users. This particular case had to do with not withdrawing consent from users who no longer wish to be tracked on its leading apps such as Instagram and Facebook.
For those who might not be aware, the EU’s privacy laws have boldly delineated how users have every right to opt out of data tracking practices by resorting to the very complex ordeal of transferring over to paid subscriptions. And that is dubbed to be an illegal endeavor, the leading digital rights advocate firm explained.
Furthermore, the laws in place at the moment state in bold terms how the GDPR makes it necessary for apps to enable easy withdrawal as well as consent, just as how simple it is to make users sign up for it and allow it.
If a single small click is more than enough to have their data tracked for the company’s benefit, the same should be the case when they wish to opt-out. But at the moment, Meta fails to follow such laws. Instead, it’s actually doing the opposite, making users go through complex pages and also forcing them to pay a hefty fee in the name of privacy for the endeavor.
If that’s not enough, the tech giant was seen rolling out a new ad-free subscription plan for its users across the EU. This was only done to be more inclined with the GDPR laws in place throughout Europe.
All users should be given the liberty to choose what kind of data could be collected and where it should be used. For instance, if that’s targeted ads then so be it.
Meanwhile, fees range from just $11 a month for those using the apps through the web as it’s $14 for those using it through their smartphones on iPhones and Android.
This is why advocates for the EU’s Privacy Laws are making it loud and clear for Meta to stop this behavior and give users their right to opt out as easily as they enable them to give consent for targeted advertising practices. And to charge them a fee for that is not something it feels is fair and unlawful.
Meanwhile, we also saw the Austrian-based regulators pull out another complaint on this front, as soon as Meta announced its decision to give users ad-free plans at a cost. But Meta justified the act, delineating how it’s a business model that spans across many sectors. It seems to be the best chance for both parties to benefit and many leading tech firms are using it to the best of their ability, Meta added.
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by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World
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