Meta offers new choices to Instagram and Facebook users regarding their data

Meta has revealed additional information about how it intends to respond to forthcoming competition laws in the European Union, which aim to combat unfair behavior by Big Tech by ensuring fair dealing on a few of the world's most prominent platforms. The Digital Markets Act (DMA) applies to only six (mainly US) digital behemoths, including Meta.

The EU designated Meta as a "gatekeeper" in September, listing six of its products as "core platforms services" under the DMA. These include Facebook and Instagram social networks, an ad delivery system, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger messaging services, and Marketplace, a virtual marketplace platform. Although the restrictions may apply more broadly to various services provided by gatekeepers, not simply identified ones.

The DMA largely regulates how gatekeepers can function, including limiting their capacity to handle user data for advertising (the legislation requires them to get consent for this). The legislation further states that gatekeepers cannot mix user data across their main platform services, with user data from any other services they provide, or with personal data given by third parties, unless they present users with a "specific choice" and gain their approval.

The deadline for gatekeepers to comply with the DMA is March 7, which is why the social networking giant is working on updates to its services in the region.

Meta will soon send notifications to users in the EU, European Economic Area, and/or Switzerland, giving them more control over how they use its services. This includes the option to block Meta from combining data from Facebook and Instagram.

Users of Meta's social networks may access account separation options through the Account Center function.

“We are offering these choices to address the requirements of the DMA, which enter into force in March 2024,” Meta writes, suggesting the choices won’t be live until the deadline for DMA compliance starts to bite in early March.

The new options will also allow regional Facebook Messenger users to prevent Meta from linking their data with their use of the social network. Although Messenger users who want to firewall their use of Meta's products will need to form a new, separate Messenger account, this may cause some inconvenience and deter consumers from taking the step of firewalling their messaging activities from public social networking.

For users of Meta's Marketplace buying/selling platform, there will be a new option to separate their Marketplace activity from their Facebook account — but anyone who chooses this option will be penalized by no longer being able to use Facebook Messenger for buyer/seller communications; they will only be able to use email, according to Meta's blog post.

Meta has created another significant barrier to preventing Facebook Gaming users from choosing not to have their gaming activity tied to their overall use of the social network: no access to social gaming.

In November, the adtech giant announced an ad-free subscription in the region, reinforcing its shift away from tracking-based advertising. This is the sole solution Meta presently provides to EU users who do not want it to handle their data in order to run tracking adverts.