EU court rejects Meta’s challenge to 'consent or pay' opinion

The EU General Court rejected Meta’s request to overturn an opinion given by the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) on ‘consent or pay’ models. The court concluded that requiring users to pay to be exempt from data tracking for advertising purposes fails to comply with data privacy laws and the broader goals they serve. 

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The opinion published by the EDPB states that free consent can only be given when users are not obligated to pay for it, and personal data should not be treated as a commodity. The right to protect personal data belongs to every person, regardless of their financial status. The opinion highlights the imbalance between leading companies and users, calling for adequate alternatives to be provided.  

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While the opinion itself may not have judicial power, this deeper examination of consent in the data privacy realm is one all players should pay attention to.

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