Meta avoids EU fines by reducing personal data usage for targeted ads

European Union antitrust authorities on Monday approved Meta’s revised plan to minimize the use of personal data for its pay-or-consent advertising model.

The targeted ads will launch next month, and implementing them will avoid daily fines for Meta for violating the bloc’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). The penalty amount could have reached as high as 5% of daily turnover.

The social media giant was fined $233 million in April for Facebook and Instagram breaching the DMA.

The European Commission confirmed it will monitor the new model and seek feedback. The settlement reflects the EU’s ongoing commitment to regulating Big Tech.