EU hits Meta with warning over its subscription model

The European Commission's antitrust chief said: 'We want to empower citizens to be able to take control over their own data and choose a less personalised ads experience.'

The European Commission’s antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager they want users to be able to 'take control' over their own data. 

Facebook and Instagram owner Meta has been slapped with a warning by the European Commission over its subscription model for ad-free services on its social media sites, risking potentially heavy fines under the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA).

On Monday, EU regulators announced that the company’s so-called pay-or-consent policy falls foul of the Act because the new model “forces users to consent to the combination of their personal data,” while not being offered a less personalised version of either Facebook and Instagram.