Summary:

  • EFF has long argued that companies should not be allowed to collect and process private behavioral data without opt-in consent from users.
  • Meta, one of the largest collectors of behavioral data in the world, has announced that it will change the legal basis for its behavioral advertising in the EU, EEA, and Switzerland from “legitimate interests” to “consent.”
  • Meta has a history of trying to circumvent privacy laws, and it is not clear how the company will implement this change.
  • Meta’s announcement came after recent court interpretations of the GDPR, as well as the incoming Digital Markets Act (DMA).
  • The GDPR requires companies to obtain opt-in consent to collect, retain, disclose, or use a person’s data.