Meta is set to make a significant shift in how Facebook and Instagram operate across Europe, following pressure from regulators enforcing the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). The European Commission announced that beginning January next year, users in the European Union will be able to decide whether they want fully personalised ads based on extensive data sharing or a less targeted experience that requires sharing far less personal information.
The move marks one of the strongest demands yet from European authorities seeking to give consumers more control over their digital lives. The change follows months of tension between Meta and EU regulators. In June, the European Commission warned the company that it could face daily fines if it failed to offer users a meaningful choice instead of forcing them into its “pay-or-consent” model.
That model had required users to either accept broad data tracking or pay a subscription fee to avoid targeted advertising, a structure the Commission said violated the DMA’s requirements for fair, transparent user consent.
Meta has already felt the consequences of resisting EU rules. Earlier this year, it was hit with a 200-million-euro penalty after regulators found the company in breach of the DMA from November 2023 to November 2024. The fine signaled that European authorities were prepared to enforce the law aggressively, particularly against digital gatekeepers like Meta whose products shape daily communication for millions.
With the new commitment, Meta aims to align more tightly with Europe’s evolving regulatory landscape, which places user autonomy at the centre of digital advertising. By offering clear, side-by-side options for how much data people choose to share, the company is taking a step toward easing regulatory pressure — even as debates continue over privacy, competition, and the power of Big Tech in Europe’s digital marketplace.