# Meta (Facebook, Instagram) switching to "Legitimate Interest" for Ads

- Type: News
- Source: noyb - European Center for Digital Rights
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Original: https://noyb.eu/en/meta-facebook-instagram-switching-legitimate-interest-ads
- Canonical: https://overview.legal/posts/53244
- Topics: Legitimate Interest, Lawful Basis, Social Media, Consent, Personal Data, Processing, Affirmative Action and Opt-In Requirements for Consent, Lawfulness, Consent Validity Requirements and Conditions

## Summary

Forced Consent & Consent Bypass Meta (Facebook, Instagram) switching to "Legitimate Interest" for ads after noyb win. noyb will take immediate action to stop this illegal practice As reported by the Wall Street Journal, Meta (Facebook and Instagram) is switching from an illegal contract to an equally illegal basis "legitimate interests" for advertisement, after noyb won a series of complaints against them. noyb will take imminent action, as case law and guidance does not allow a company to argue

## Full text

Forced Consent & Consent Bypass Meta (Facebook, Instagram) switching to "Legitimate Interest" for ads after noyb win. noyb will take immediate action to stop this illegal practice As reported by the Wall Street Journal, Meta (Facebook and Instagram) is switching from an illegal contract to an equally illegal basis "legitimate interests" for advertisement, after noyb won a series of complaints against them. noyb will take imminent action, as case law and guidance does not allow a company to argue that its interests in profits override the users' right to privacy. Background. The GDPR allows the processing of personal data if a company complies with at least one of the six legal basis in Article 6 GDPR. Most of these six options are irrelevant for advertisement. While most companies require users to consent ("opt-in") for the use of personal data for advertisement, Meta (Facebook and Instagram) has tried to bypass this requirement by arguing that the use of personal data for ads is "nece

## Cited law provisions (1)

### GDPR — gdpr-art-6-en

Lawfulness of processing

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Generated by overview.legal · https://overview.legal/posts/53244 · 2026-08-22
