A most recent EU ruling has compelled Meta to make considerable
changes to its targeted ad policy in Europe. This means that Meta is expected
to alter its current ad systems, including its process of acquiring user
permission for accepting personalized ads in its apps.
In addition to that, Meta is expected to pay EU regulators a
fine of $US414 million and obtain legal consent directly from all of the 408
million EU users of its platforms for accepting personalized ads.
Although Meta already has the agreement for individual permission included in its terms and conditions, the EU ruling demands a more clear consent that aligns with the GDPR guidelines.
Meta, however, in response to the ruling has expressed
disappointment and stated that it intends to “appeal both the substance of the
rulings and the fines.” The company is of the view that its approach “respects
GDPR” and that it uses a combination of legal bases to provide its services. In
relation to personalized ads, Meta clarified that it has been using a legal
basis called ‘Contractual Necessity.’
Meta further explained that it is assessing “a variety of
options” to continue to offer users a fully personalized ad service. In a way,
Meta plans to realign its terms and conditions around a different legal clause
in Europe. The action will have little impact on Meta’s personalized ad
service and the way it is used by advertisers, which means that advertisers can
continue to use Meta’s platforms for marketing purposes despite the ruling
being generated.
