March 24, 2025 – Meta has reached a settlement with UK user Tanya O’Carroll, agreeing to cease delivering personalized advertisements to her profile, in a landmark privacy lawsuit that could set a legal precedent for millions of social media users, according to a report by The Guardian on the 22nd.
Following the avoidance of a High Court trial in London and the subsequent settlement, Meta also indicated that it is contemplating the introduction of an ad-free paid subscription service for UK users.
Tanya O’Carroll hailed the settlement as a victory not only for herself but for all those who cherish their privacy rights.
Background Information:
In 2022, Tanya O’Carroll filed a lawsuit against Meta, accusing it of violating UK data laws by refusing to honor her request to stop collecting and processing her data for advertising purposes. The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) sided with O’Carroll, noting that the case had the potential to impact the rights of millions of online platform users in the UK.
The ICO echoed O’Carroll’s stance, emphasizing that “users have the right to object to their personal information being used for direct marketing.” Companies must respect users’ choices regarding the use of their personal data and provide a clear “opt-out” option, allowing users to refuse the use of their data for targeted advertising.
Meta responded by stating that it “completely” disagreed with O’Carroll’s allegations and insisted that it strictly complies with the UK’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Currently, advertising accounts for approximately 98% of Meta’s total revenue.
