Are you the user or the product?
The question boils down to this: Are you content being the user who pays for the service or are you comfortable being the product, effectively trading your privacy for targeted advertising?
I've never fancied the idea of my every move being tracked, recorded, and subsequently sold off to the
highest bidder.
When Apple introduced its privacy features in 2021, I was thrilled. I spent hours tweaking my app settings to deter online surveillance—anything to evade 'big brother' tracking my digital footsteps.
Facebook's recent brush with a $1.6 billion fine from the EU for flouting data privacy rules has put them on the defensive. They're scrambling to make amends, citing regulatory shifts in the EU and adapting to the evolving GDPR landscape. Their solution? Two choices for users:
Shell out €8.99 monthly on the web or €11.99 on iOS and Android for an ad-free experience—for life. (Open to EU, EEA, and Switzerland residents, aged 18 and over.)
Grant permission for your profile and usage information to be peddled to any advertising entity for targeting purposes.
(Source: https://about.fb.com/news/2023/10/facebook-and-instagram-to-offer-subscription-for-no-ads-in-europe/)
What's your take on this?
Would you opt to pay for a subscription to keep using Facebook without ads?
