Meta recently unveiled its paid ad-free plans in Europe to comply with the updated privacy rules. It agreed to offer ad-free Facebook and Instagram experience to users in Europe, for a price. However, it has received a setback as an Austrian non-profit privacy group called Noyb filed a complaint against Meta on behalf of a client. Noyb stands for None Of Your Business.
Noyb argues Meta’s ad-free plan is unreasonably high
Meta adhered to the rule demands and launched its ad-free plans for at least €9.99 per month. It costs €9.99 per month for web users and €12.99 per month for Android and iOS users. But the recent complaint by Noyb argues that Facebook’s subscription price is exorbitant compared to the benefits it provides, making it an unrealistic option for users with financial constraints. In short, the subscription fee paid to Meta is unreasonably high.
Noyb founder Max Schrems announced the complaint on X. He announced that it’s the group’s first case filing. In the next sentence, he emphasized, “Considering that users have on average 35 apps on their phone, you may soon pay € 8.000+ per year to keep your #GDPR rights – let’s see what the @EU_EDPB will say!” In another statement, he said that over 20% of the EU population is already facing poverty. For the complainant in their case, as well as many others, a “Pay or Okay” system would force them to choose between paying rent or maintaining their privacy. He argued.
Noyb questions whether it is one’s free will to dump €250 per year
Moreover, the Austrian privacy group data protection lawyer Felix Mikolasch challenges Meta citing, “EU law requires that consent is the genuine free will of the user. Contrary to this law, Meta charges a ‘privacy fee’ of up to 250 euros per year if anyone dares to exercise their fundamental right to data protection.”
Noyb is concerned that Meta’s new paid subscription service could make online privacy unaffordable for many people, especially those with low incomes. The group is calling on Meta to reconsider its decision and offer a free option for users who cannot afford to pay.