UK shoppers can choose to avoid personalized online ads following a significant court victory by a new mother. Facebook owners Meta .
Tanya O'Carroll, aged 37, filed a lawsuit against the tech company following its continued targeted ads for babies when she gave birth in 2017.
Even though she was inundated with advertisements, Ms. O'Carroll mentioned that when she attempted to modify her social media settings, the link failed to function properly.
However, following a three-year legal struggle, Meta has consented to cease targeting Mrs O'Carroll with advertisements derived from her personal information.
The significant agreement reached on Friday has the potential to reshape how social media operates for all users.
Nonetheless, Meta is now contemplating the idea of charging British users for access to an ad-free variant of its platforms.
The firm stated that it strongly disagrees with Ms O'Carroll's assertions since no business should be required to provide its services without charge.
'Facebook and Instagram Building and maintaining these services requires considerable financial resources, but they remain free for British users due to personalized advertising," according to Meta.
'Similar to numerous online platforms, we are considering providing residents in the UK with a subscription service and plan to offer more details at an appropriate time.'
Ms. O'Carroll, who advocates for human rights, initiated legal action against the £1.2 trillion corporation in 2022.
She claimed that Meta violated United Kingdom data protection regulations by not adhering to her request for Facebook to cease gathering her personal information.
Ms. O'Carrol found out that Facebook had assigned her over 700 attributes derived from her interactions on the social networking site.
It deduced the locations she wished to visit during her vacation, items she intended to purchase, and styles of clothing she favored, along with various other details.
Following the settlement of the lawsuit yesterday, Ms O'Carroll declared victory.
She stated: "This agreement signifies more than just my personal triumph; it stands as a win for all those who cherish their basic right to privacy."
None of us joined this to face years of constant ad tracking, threatened by the possibility of being cut off from our family and friends online.
Her privacy case received support from the UK's data protection regulator, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
A representative from the ICO stated: "Individuals possess the authority to contest the utilization of their private data for direct marketing purposes, and we have emphasized that online targeted advertisements must be regarded as a form of direct marketing."
Institutions should honor individuals' preferences regarding the utilization of their data. This entails providing customers with an unambiguous method to decline having their information employed in such manner.
If individuals feel that an organization isn’t adhering to their request to cease handling their information, they have the option to lodge a complaint with us. We will keep working with Meta regarding this matter.
A Meta ad-free service priced at €7.99 per month is currently available in the European Union following a 2023 decision by the European Court of Justice.
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