Meta to Allow EU Users Limit Personalised Ads Starting January 2026 After DMA Crackdown

Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, will begin offering European Union users a choice over how much of their personal data can be used for advertising from January 2026.
The move follows extensive discussions with the European Commission, which ruled in April 2025 that Meta violated the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA).

The Commission announced that Meta will now let EU users choose between allowing full data access for highly personalised ads or restricting data sharing for a more limited ad-targeting experience.

According to the Commission:
“Meta will give users the effective choice between consenting to share all their data and seeing fully personalised advertising, and opting to share less personal data for an experience with more limited personalised advertising.”

This marks the first time Meta will offer such a granular privacy choice to its social-media users.

Background on the DMA fine

In April 2025, Meta was fined €200 million ($233 million) for breaching the DMA. Regulators said its “pay-or-consent” model—used on Facebook and Instagram between November 2023 and November 2024—failed to meet EU standards for genuine user choice.
Following the penalty, Meta began revising its ad-targeting model to rely on less personal data and better align with DMA requirements.

What the change means for EU users

Beginning January 2026:

Facebook and Instagram users will decide how much data Meta can use for ads.

Those who share less data will still see ads, but they will be less tailored or less frequent.

Users who opt in to full data use will continue receiving fully personalised ads.

Previously, Meta’s advertising system relied on extensive data tracking, including user behaviour, interests, digital activity, and interactions across its platforms.

Meta’s broader regulatory challenges

The tech giant’s latest compliance shift comes amid a long string of privacy battles:

In 2023, Meta faced a record €1.2 billion GDPR fine for transferring EU user data to the United States without adequate safeguards.

Nigeria’s FCCPC also imposed a $220 million fine last year for privacy violations and abuse of market dominance.

Early this year, the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) issued an additional $32.8 million fine and eight corrective orders for non-consensual data processing related to behavioural ads. An out-of-court settlement was later reached.

With the new 2026 ad-consent model, Meta is attempting to reset its approach to user data while navigating intensifying global scrutiny of digital advertising practices.