EU Charges Meta for Violating Digital Markets Act with 'Pay or Consent' Model, Faces $13.49 Billion Fine

Jul 1, 2024, 11:01 AM

The European Union has charged Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, for violating the bloc’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) with its 'pay or consent' advertising model. This model requires users to either pay for an ad-free experience or consent to the use of their personal data for targeted advertising. The EU Commission's preliminary findings indicate that Meta's model forces users into a binary choice and fails to provide a less personalized but equivalent service. As a result, Meta faces a potential fine of up to $13.49 billion, which is 10% of its global turnover. This action follows a similar case against Apple last week, highlighting the EU's ongoing efforts to regulate Big Tech companies under the DMA. The findings were reported by Financial Times and Reuters.