Meta Accused of Failing to Comply with EU Technology Rules

EU antitrust regulators accused Meta Platforms on Monday of failing to comply with important technology rules regarding the subscription models recently launched by the company, which require users to pay to stop ads or agree to have their activity tracked. The American tech giant launched an ad-free subscription service on its Facebook and Instagram platforms in Europe last November, stating that users agreeing to have their activity tracked would receive a free service funded by ad revenue. The European Commission, acting as an antitrust authority in EU member states, stated that offering only two options violates the bloc's Digital Markets Act, which aims to curb the power of major tech companies, according to the preliminary decision reached by the Commission and sent to Meta. It explained that the binary choice forces users to agree to the collection of their personal data and fails to provide them with a version that is personalized to them and aligns with Meta's social networks.