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MetaJanuary 2026

In the EU, less targeted ads on Facebook and Instagram

Since January, people on the free version of Facebook and Instagram in the EU have had to choose: share everything, or share less data and see less personalized ads.

Everyone has to choose

Share everything, fully personalized ads

Share less, less personalized ads

What happened, in detail

Before: Less targeted ads, as an option

Now: Everyone must pick their ad setting

On December 8, 2025, the European Commission acknowledged a commitment from Meta: to present a new choice to EU users in January 2026. Either they share all their data and see fully personalized ads, or they share less and see less personalized ones. The choice follows an April 2025 decision against Meta under the EU's Digital Markets Act.

According to its March 2026 compliance report, Meta rolled it out starting in January, and people on the free version now have to pick one. The Commission says it will then gather feedback on the impact and uptake of this model.

Where it comes from

What it changes for you

Part of your audience may be targeted less precisely. Your image and message have to work on their own.

What to do, and when

  1. This week

    Reread your ads and forget the targeting. Do the image and message say on their own what you sell and who it's for?

  2. This month

    Compare your Facebook and Instagram results with the months before January.

  3. Before your next campaign

    Prepare an image and a message that work on their own, for the part of your audience that will be targeted less precisely.

Ask ChatGPT, Claude or Perplexity what this means for your business

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