In a bold shift toward greater user control and compliance with the Digital Markets Act (DMA), Meta Platforms (owner of Facebook and Instagram) will, from January 2026, allow users in the European Commission to choose between fully personalised ads or a simpler, less-data-intensive ad experience.
Specifically, EU users will be presented with two options: consent to broad data sharing and receive ads tailored to their interests or opt out of extensive data tracking and instead get ads that rely on minimal information and deliver less personalisation. This is the first time Meta is offering such a choice on Facebook and Instagram.
This change comes after regulatory pressure: in April 2025, the European Commission ruled that Meta had flouted the DMA by failing to provide a viable, data-light alternative to its previous “consent or pay” model, under which users could either accept fully personalised ads or pay a subscription for an ad-free experience.
Under the new model Meta proposes, the “less personalised” ad option will be free, not behind a paywall. The company says this is meant to meet legal requirements that EU users be given a “full and effective choice.”
But the shift could carry significant consequences, not just for user experience, but for Meta’s business and the broader EU economy. According to Meta’s own data, its personalised-ad services fuelled €213 billion in economic activity across the EU in 2024 and supported about 1.44 million jobs. With less-targeted ads, Meta warns that advertisers, especially small and medium-sized businesses that depend heavily on precise targeting may suffer lower ad effectiveness.
Critics argue the Commission’s demand overlooks economic realities: offering a free, less-effective ad product undermines the revenue model that sustains both Meta and many businesses reliant on digital marketing.
In practice, opting for less-personalised ads may result in less relevant ads, for example, ones that target only broad criteria like age or general location instead of personal interests.
Meta’s decision could reshape digital-advertising economics in the EU. With personalised ads generating an estimated €213 billion in business activity and supporting nearly 1.5 million jobs in 2024, reduced targeting may hit ad effectiveness, threatening small businesses’ marketing budgets and slowing growth in sectors reliant on online advertising.
