In light of ongoing privacy disputes between EU regulators and Meta, meta has offered to allow European users to opt-in to data collection before their data is used for advertising purposes. This is a significant switch from the Meta’s current business model where users are automatically opted-in to data collection when they authorize a user agreement during the initial installation of Meta’s apps (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp).
Meta has announced this change in response to a meeting with Irelands Data Protection Commission, to ensure Meta’s products adhere to EU privacy laws. This also follows long-standing legal disputes between Meta and Europe’s Data Protection Commission which has fined Meta for unsatisfactory data collection consent practices.
There is no exact timeline for when this change will roll out, but some analysts predict it could be as early as October of this year.
Why Does This Matter?
When Apple introduced similar measures on their iPhone, advertisers saw significant declines in interest-based audience targeting capabilities. If a large number of Meta’s users in the EU opt out of data collection for advertising, there could be significant impacts on the quality and effectiveness of the audiences you might currently use for advertising on Meta’s platforms.
As the online privacy revolution continues, online advertisers will need to monitor the effectiveness of their audiences closely to minimize the impact of data losses on your campaign effectiveness.
