The Facebook and Instagram owner faces pressure in Europe to ask before using data to target ads or train artificial intelligence.

Currently Facebook and Instagram users have to choose between a paying for an ad-free version or a free version with personalized ads, a choice EU officials say is unfair. Jens Büttner/dpa Facebook and Instagram are giving users in Europe the new option ...

Data from all of a user's previous time spent on Facebook or Instagram, which is typically combined to precisely target an individual with tailored ads, won't be used.

Users of Facebook and Instagram in Europe who access the social media sites for free will soon have the option for less personalized advertising, parent company Meta announced. For about a year, European users of the social media platforms have been able to pay for an ad-free subscription option.

Personalised advertising boosts revenue for companies, Meta said in a press release. It referenced an in-house study showing that Apple’s App Tracking Transparency requirement mandates that iOS apps must ask users for permission to share their data-led companies to increase prices by at least 3.4% as their ads became less effective.

In the months leading up to the Jharkhand assembly election, advertisers have spent at least Rs 2.25 crore on political promotions on the Meta-owned platforms Facebook and Instagram, targeting users in the state. The state will go to the polls in two phases, on November 13 and November 20.

Meta is introducing a new ad option in Europe that allows Facebook and Instagram users to opt for less data tracking. This free option will show ads based on basic demographics and current browsing activity rather than extensive user history.

Meta has reduced the price of its ad-free subscription versions of Facebook and Instagram by 40 per cent for European Union (EU) users. This has been done to comply with regulatory demands in the region,