Instagram and Facebook users in Europe will soon have the option to receive “less personalized ads,” Meta said in an announcement, part of an effort by the company to address growing concerns from regulators.
In the coming weeks, users in Europe who use the platforms for free will be able to choose to see ads based on what Meta calls “context” – content that a user sees during a particular session on the platforms.
See also: Meta partners with universities to integrate VR into education
These ads will target Meta users based on age, gender, and location, and some will be unskippable for a few seconds.
Meta also announced that it plans to reduce the price of ad-free subscriptions by about 40% for European users.
The company is being forced to make changes as European regulators increasingly try to reduce the power of big tech companiesto level the playing field for smaller companies. As part of these efforts, Europe has also enacted the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which aims to ensure fair and open digital markets.
See also: Meta Facebook: Facial recognition software to tackle “celeb bait” scams
The legislation aims to make it easier for people to move between competing online services, such as social media platforms, web browsers and app stores.
Last month, Europe's highest court ruled that Meta must limit the use of personal data collected by Facebook for targeted advertising.
Europe is very strict and violations of the DMA law can lead to companies facing huge fines, which can reach up to 10% of global annual turnover.
See also: Meta: Suspend Instagram/Threads accounts that track celebrity jets
Meta’s announcement to offer “less personalized ads” in Europe is a step toward addressing concerns about privacy data. As technology continues to evolve, it’s crucial for companies to prioritize transparency and allow users to see how data . Only time will tell if this move will have a significant impact on the future of personalized advertising, but it’s undoubtedly a positive step toward protecting user privacy.
Source: money.usnews.com
