Meta accused of breaking EU digital law by charging for ad-free social networks

The European Commission has preliminarily found that Meta's "pay or consent" model breaches the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA), because it forces users to consent to combined use of their personal data unless they pay for ad-free Facebook or Instagram. The commission said Meta must launch "equivalent" versions of both services that use less personal data. Meta said the model was designed to comply with the DMA and other regulatory demands and that it will continue to engage constructively with the commission. The commission must finish its investigation by the end of March next year, and Meta faces a fine of up to 10% of global turnover, equivalent to $13.5bn (£10.5bn), if it is found to have breached the act.