Meta and Privacy

I wonder if the Irish DPC will make the eyes of the DPCs in other Euro countries roll again? It does take an awfully long time to consider things.

Meta offers lower cost for EU ad-free subscription under privacy review | TechCrunch

Meta has proposed to drop the price of an ad-free subscription in the European Union -- currently the only way regional users of its social networks, Meta has proposed to drop the price of an ad-free subscription in the European Union -- currently the only way regional users of its social networks, Facebook and Instagram, can avoid its tracking and profiling.

TechCrunchNatasha Lomas

Everybody has the right to privacy, but if you don’t want to give it up then don’t use the service, right?

I would definitely not agree with anyone who thought that. One of the aspects of the DMA and DSA I agree with is the introduction of Gatekeepers and VLOPs (Very Large Online Platforms). I still see local businesses who only have Facebook accounts (which makes my eyes roll, but never mind).

These Ad Tech giants have inserted themselves into society. But the aspect missed here is inclusivity. Some people have no choice but to use these services now - and that’s the key thing. To keep in touch with friends or family, to access support groups or to start their own little hustle. With the cost of living crisis nobody should give up their privacy because they can’t afford not to.

Metas gross profit last year was $109B, nearly 20% increase year on year. I have little sympathy for them.