WhatsApp is getting ads using personal data from Instagram and Facebook
a year ago
- #Meta
- #EU Law
- Meta plans to introduce ads on WhatsApp based on personal data from Facebook and Instagram, further integrating WhatsApp into Meta's ecosystem.
- This move consolidates Meta's social networking monopoly, despite EU laws like the DMA and GDPR designed to prevent such dominance.
- The Digital Markets Act (DMA) requires freely given user consent for cross-service data linking, a requirement Meta currently bypasses with its 'Pay or Okay' model on Instagram and Facebook.
- Meta's 'Pay or Okay' approach, deemed illegal by the EU, forces users to pay to avoid ads, effectively coercing consent and yielding high compliance rates.
- Meta's strategy mirrors past actions, ignoring EU regulations and treating them as trade barriers, similar to the Trump administration's stance.
- Max Schrems of noyb criticizes Meta for violating EU law by linking data across platforms without genuine user consent and calls for stronger regulatory enforcement.
- Meta's disregard for EU law includes using EU user data for AI training without consent and now extending this to WhatsApp ads.
- The lack of enforcement and minimal penalties have emboldened Meta to continue its practices, prompting potential legal action from noyb.
- Signal, a non-profit alternative to WhatsApp, may benefit from user migration due to Meta's ad push on WhatsApp.