The European Commission wants more explanation from tech company Meta about its paid subscription that prevents users from seeing ads on the Facebook and Instagram social media platforms, the Commission announced on Friday.
The Commission requested additional info on the measures the company has taken to "comply with its obligations regarding Facebook and Instagram's advertising practices," it said in a press release.
Additionally, it wants more explanation on the recommendation systems that push certain content to users, and on the risk analysis done on the introduction of the subscription.
Since last autumn, Meta has been offering Facebook and Instagram users a paid subscription without advertising – giving them the option to opt out of seeing personalised ads. For users who do not want a subscription, however, nothing changes.
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With this formula, Meta claimed it wanted to comply with European rules on the protection of personal data (GDPR), but consumer organisations say it is nothing more than "a smokescreen" to hide breaches of privacy laws. On Thursday, eight associations filed complaints against the subscription with their national authorities.
The request for information is a first step in proceedings under the Digital Service Act (DSA). Earlier, the Commission also asked Meta for more explanations on how the company deals with the protection of minors, the distribution of illegal content and disinformation in the context of elections.
Now, Meta is required to answer the Commission's questions by 22 March. Based on the answers, the Commission will consider possible next steps.
The DSA imposes obligations on online platforms to protect their users from illegal content, disinformation and abuse. Refusing to cooperate or providing incorrect, incomplete or misleading information can lead to severe financial penalties.
