Have you seen a pop-up appear on Facebook “Reconsider the processing of your information for advertising purposes”? Meta is rolling out a new option to prevent its social networks from tracking you. But it is well hidden…
Facebook and Instagram are known for constantly collecting huge amounts of personal – sometimes sensitive – data from its users, in order to offer them targeted advertising. It is this economic model that allows Meta, the parent company, to largely fill its coffers. But for the past few hours, some Facebook users have seen a strange pop-up window appear when they connect to the site. She invites them to “reconsider the processing of your information for advertising purposes”. It is therefore possible to pay a subscription of €7.99 per month on mobile or €5.99 per month on computer to take advantage of the platforms without any advertising; or continue to use the service for free, while accepting advertising. In truth, there is a third hidden alternative, allowing you not to be tracked without having to take out your wallet.
Tracking on Facebook and Instagram: a paid alternative deemed illegal
To comply with European Union requirements regarding the use of personal data – and more particularly the famous Digital Services Act which has just come into force – Mark Zuckerberg’s company has been offering paid subscriptions for a year now. to access Facebook and Instagram without advertising. And suffice to say that the bill was steep, since, until recently, you had to pay €9.99/month to not be “tracked” on the Web version of Meta’s social networks, or €12.99 /month on Android and iOS mobile applications (see our article) – the company subsequently agreed to lower its prices.
Of course, it was possible to continue to use the classic versions of Facebook and Instagram for free by accepting targeted advertising and tracking. A solution which above all seemed like a sleight of hand to circumvent the legislation and which makes one cringe. In reality, Meta does not expect users to pay for the subscription, it is simply a sleight of hand to obtain their consent.
Also, last July, European authorities ruled that paid subscription for Facebook and Instagram is illegal (see our article). The company has been ordered to implement a free alternative without data collection by March 2025, otherwise it could be fined a colossal fine, which could represent 10% of its turnover, which amounted to 125 billion euros last year – the sanction could therefore exceed 12 billion euros. Hence the pop-up window that currently appears.
Tracking on Facebook and Instagram: a free but hidden alternative
There is, however, a little cleverness on Meta’s part. Indeed, the new message displayed suggests that there are only two possible choices: pay and remove the advertising, or not pay and see targeted advertising displayed, thanks to the collection of personal data . But there is indeed a third possibility, although hidden: using the two social networks for free without any collection of personal data, as perfidiously implied by the sentence explaining that the user will have “then the option to see less personalized advertisements”without giving the possibility of checking it, unlike the other two propositions.
We understand it well, Meta clearly does not want us to choose this option! To better discourage users concerned about their privacy, the social network has even decided to impose five-second blocks on those who select it at certain moments of their browsing. Not sure that the European authorities and consumer protection associations appreciate…
Here’s how to avoid being tracked without having to pay a single cent.
Via pop-up window
► A pop-up window appears on your Facebook account.
► It invites you to choose between the paid subscription or the free but tracked alternative. Check Use without payment with advertisementsthen click the blue button Continue.
► In the next window, click on the blue button Accept.
► Click on Manage the ad experience to access the free, no-tracking alternative.
► Select the option Less personalized ads.
► Finally, click on the blue button Continue.
► If you ever clicked on Laterit doesn’t matter, you can always change the setting a posterioriby doing the following manipulations.
On computer
► Log in to your Facebook account.
► Click on your profile photo, top right.
► A drop-down menu appears. Click on Settings and privacy.
► Still in the drop-down menu, click on Settings.
► A new page opens. In the left column, in the section Accounts Areaclick See more in the Accounts Areain blue.
► A new page opens. In the left column, click Advertising preferences.
► Click on Double-check the chosen option: use our products without payment with advertisements or subscribe. Yes, it’s well hidden!
► A pop-up window appears. Check Use without payment with advertisementsthen click the blue button Continue.
► In the next window, click on the blue button Accept.
► Click on Manage the ad experience to access the free, no-tracking alternative.
► It’s unnecessarily long, isn’t it? Select the option Less personalized ads.
► Finally, click on the blue button Continue.
On the mobile app
The process is not possible on the mobile application since, for the moment, when you check Use without payment with advertisements, the button to continue, and then choose the free version, does not appear! Impossible to move on to the next step! In short, everything is done to discourage you…
