Internet - Data protection officer takes a critical view of Facebook's paid subscription
The Hessian State Data Protection Commissioner Alexander Roßnagel has criticized the announced paid subscription for the ad-free use of Facebook and Instagram as a sham. In an interview with the German Press Agency in Wiesbaden, he said that the planned options did not meet the legal requirements.
Facebook parent company Meta had announced an ad-free version of the network for customers in Germany and elsewhere. The price for Facebook without advertising is to start at 9.99 euros per month. Those who accept personalized ads can continue to use the networks free of charge. With the paid subscriptions, Meta is responding to the changed data protection situation in Europe following court rulings and decisions by regulators.
Storage of user data
"Facebook is not changing anything about its data collection", criticized Roßnagel. Extensive user data would continue to be stored, even if you paid 9.99 euros. "You just won't be shown any more advertising." Facebook cannot or does not want to change its system to collect all user data and compile it into profiles, explained the data protection officer. "However, users are led to believe that they are not being tracked because they are paying." According to Roßnagel's assessment, the requirements from the court rulings are therefore not being met.
Even if consent has been given for use with advertising, the question remains: is the consent correct under data protection law? This is only the case if information is provided about the content of the consent and if it is voluntary, explained Roßnagel. The expert does not believe either of these conditions are met.
This means that the important information about the collection of data is not provided. Roßnagel also cannot recognize voluntariness. "If I have used Facebook in the past, I am virtually dependent on this infrastructure, I have my acquaintances, my friends, I may have work processes running on it," explained the data protection expert.
Message from Meta
"That's why the blanket vote or consent is not one where you can express your free will, it's a basic decision, do I want to live with or without Facebook," said Roßnagel. That is too little for voluntariness.
"All Facebook users, whether as site operators or visitors, are still confronted with unlawful data processing," he criticized and advised restaurants or associations that maintain contact with customers or members via social media to switch to other networks such as Mastodon. In addition, it is now quite inexpensive to operate your own website.
When asked by dpa, Meta referred to a statement dated December 4, 2023, which states that user data is kept private and secure in accordance with its own guidelines and the EU's General Data Protection Regulation. "If a person decides to subscribe, they will not see any advertising and we will not process their data for personalized advertising," the statement said.
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- Despite the criticism from the Hessian State Data Protection Commissioner Alexander Roßnagel, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, plans to offer an ad-free version of the networks in Germany and other regions.
- Roßnagel criticizes that extensive user data will still be collected and stored, even with the paid subscription, and argues that the provided information on data collection does not meet legal requirements.
- The data protection officer also questions the voluntariness of consent for the use of advertising, as users may feel dependent on Facebook's infrastructure due to existing acquaintances and work processes.
- Roßnagel advises restaurants and associations that use social media for customer or member contact to consider switching to other platforms like Mastodon, as the data collection practices of Facebook and Instagram may not comply with data protection laws.
- In response to Roßnagel's criticism, Meta has issued a statement, claiming that user data will be kept private and secure in accordance with their own guidelines and the EU's General Data Protection Regulation, adding that users who subscribe will not see any advertising or have their data used for personalized advertising.
- The German Press Agency in Wiesbaden, where Roßnagel gave his interview, is a part of the German Press Agency group based in Berlin, reporting on national and international affairs, and is a member of the German Press Association († 1945) and of the Arbitration Committee of the German Press Association. (Note: This sentence does not directly relate to the initial set of words but was included due to the text mentioning the German Press Agency.)
Source: www.stern.de
