Meta's 'Pay or Consent' Approach Faces E.U. Competition Rules Scrutiny

Meta's plan to offer an ad-free subscription for Facebook and Instagram in the EU is being investigated by the European Commission, which says the company's "pay or consent" model forces users to either accept data-combining for personalized ads or pay to avoid them and may breach the Digital Markets Act; regulators argue users who refuse consent should still have access to a less personalized but equivalent service. If the preliminary findings are confirmed, Meta could face fines up to 10% (or 20% for systematic breaches) of worldwide turnover; Meta disputes the assessment and says it will engage with the Commission.