The European Commission has acknowledged commitments by Meta to offer users in the European Union a meaningful choice regarding the level of personalised advertising they receive on its platforms, in order to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA). This marks the first time that such a user-facing choice will be systematically introduced across Meta’s major social media services in the EU.
Under the new model, users of Facebook and Instagram in the EU will be able to choose between two options: consenting to the use of all their data in order to receive fully personalised advertising, or limiting the sharing of their personal data and receiving advertising that is less personalised. Meta is expected to roll out these options to EU users from January 2026.
This development follows an intensive regulatory dialogue between the Commission and Meta, after the Commission concluded that Meta had breached the DMA. In April 2025, the Commission adopted a formal non-compliance decision concerning deficiencies in Meta’s user choice mechanisms related to personalised advertising.
Once the new system is implemented, the Commission will gather feedback and evidence from Meta, as well as from other relevant stakeholders, to assess the practical impact and user uptake of the revised advertising model. The Commission has reiterated that EU users are entitled under the DMA to full and effective choice, and that such choice is a core element of the regulation’s consumer protection and competition objectives.