If you, like me, live in the EU, Facebook is now entirely clamping down and forcing free users to make their personal data available for monetization.

Attempting to access any Facebook domain and perhaps also other meta products will redirect you to the following prompt with a choice between either accepting the monetization of your user data, or coughing up a region-dependent monthly subscription fee: base (for me ~10€) + an additional fee (~7€) for each additional facebook or instagram account you have.

Now, the hidden third option. At an initial glance, it seems like there is no other option but to click one of the buttons - however, certain links still work, and grant access to important pieces of functionality through your web browser.

If anyone has information to add regarding Facebook or Instagram, please do share it. I’ve only (begrudgingly) used the former up until now, but I know many others use Instagram and don’t feel like giving a single cent (nor their personal info) to Meta.

  1. https://www.facebook.com/dyi - perhaps most important of all, now is a good time to make a request to download your Facebook data. Don’t forget to switch to data for “all time” and “high quality” if you intend to permanently delete your account.

  2. https://www.facebook.com/your_information - here you can find and manage your information, but crucially also access Facebook messenger.

  3. The messenger app: Still hasn’t prompted me with anything, though I expect that will change in the not too far future.

Currently my plan is to use messenger to inform any important friends that I intend to leave FB, and where they’ll be able to reach me in the future.

  • Liam Mayfair@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
    684·
    11 months ago

    I welcome this change. It makes it clear to the user in realistic terms how they want to engage with the site.

    • Pay up with your money
    • Pay up with your data
    • Don’t use Facebook

    I despise Meta and all their products but they are entitled to charge people for them. Shit ain’t free to run, you know.

    I’d much sooner they showed this banner and force people to make a decision than what they’ve been doing up until now, which is to “assume” everyone’s fine with their personal data being harvested and exploited without their knowledge or consent.

          • Bazoogle@lemmy.worldEnglish
            3·
            11 months ago

            Offline activity stays offline if it never goes online. If you don’t have a facebook account, then your probably have thousands of facebook accounts. It will generate an identity for each unique advertising ID you use, and you can always generate new ones in most devices.

            • Honytawk@lemmy.zipEnglish
              32·
              11 months ago

              Those accounts get combined through fingerprinting and other dark systems.

    • fuzzzerd@programming.devEnglish
      18·
      11 months ago

      That assumes that because they’re paying they aren’t also tracking. They might not use it for ads directly but they’ll still sell it to others that will show you ads off Facebook.

    • tabular@lemmy.worldEnglish
      7·
      10 months ago

      Don’t use Facebook is the best answer but if you must then the next best option is:

      • Choose a better Adblock

      You don’t owe your enemy anything. Stop using spyware as a business model.