Facebook and Instagram will stop showing advertising to children in the EU

2023-10-31 18:57:47

Facebook e Instagram will stop showing advertising to users under 18 years of age who reside in the European Union. At least temporarily from next November 6, according to reports ‘The Wall Street Journal‘, a medium that advances the news. The measure comes just a few days after Meta, the company that owns the two ‘apps’, and which is directed by Mark Zuckerbergannounced the upcoming arrival of a new payment plan that allows Internet users to browse their social networks without ads in exchange for a payment of 10 euros per month.

The two changes, which only affect users based on European soil, are completely linked. They are preceded by an important package of laws developed by the EU that hinders large technology companies when it comes to processing their users’ data. Especially the younger ones.

Among them, the Digital Services Act (DSA) stands out, which, among other things, prohibits companies like Meta from using the data of minors to show them personalized advertising. Something that is especially problematic for Zuckerberg’s company, since the vast majority of its income comes directly from targeted ads. And these are only effective if the company can profile Internet users based on their age, their interests or the type of content they consume on the Internet, among other things.

European privacy regulations also prohibit the processing of all users’ data for advertising purposes if they do not give their explicit consent. Precisely, this is the reason why Meta has seen the need to radically change its way of operating by choosing to make a new paid subscription available to its users. Since its arrival, also scheduled for November 6, those who do not want the company to use their data to enrich themselves will have to pay the monthly subscription directly. For everyone else, the user experience will remain exactly the same as always. Thanks to this change, the technology company hopes to avoid possible EU fines while continuing to do business.