Meta’s changes to ad data use rules accepted by U.K.’s CMA

The U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority announced that it has accepted proposals to vary Meta‘s commitments in the way it uses advertising customers’ data. Under the original commitments, Meta pledged to limit how it uses advertising customers’ data in order to prevent it from getting an unfair advantage. Competitors of Facebook Marketplace that advertised on Meta platforms could ‘opt out’ of their data being used to improve Facebook Marketplace. The varied commitments give Meta an additional way to implement the data controls set up in the original commitments. Meta currently plans to adopt this new approach meaning that all advertisers can retain the ability to place advertisements on Facebook Marketplace and be certain of their advertising data not being used to improve Facebook Marketplace, without having to opt in or out. Having consulted advertisers and Facebook Marketplace users on the proposals, the CMA has concluded that the revisions go above and beyond the original commitments and would not leave any advertisers worse off. As a result, the CMA has accepted the proposed variation.