Meta Platforms Inc. plans to allow Facebook and Instagram users in Europe to opt out of some personalized advertisements.
The changes come after Ireland’s Data Protection Commission fined Meta
META,
$410 million in January over data-privacy issues.
The company intends to let users in the European Union opt for a version of Meta’s services that features less personalized ads based on broad targeting categories, something the Wall Street Journal first reported on Thursday. Meta plans to ask users to submit an online form, located in its Help Center, if they object to use of their in-app activity for ad targeting. The company will then evaluate these requests.
Meta amended an earlier blog post Thursday that discussed how the company uses legal bases for ad processing in the EU. Thursday’s amendment noted that Meta is changing its basis from “Contractual Necessity” to “Legitimate Interests.”
“Relevant users will … be notified of this change, which will give them additional options around how we process certain information to serve behavioural advertisements,” the company said in its blog post, while noting that “this legal change does not prevent personalised advertising on our platform, nor does it affect how advertisers, businesses or users experience our products.”
Meta shares were ahead about 1% in Thursday morning trading.
