In March 2025, there was a huge victory for your data rights!
Meta settled a four year court case with human rights campaigner Tanya O’Carroll. She had taken legal action to force the social media giant to stop collecting and processing her personal data for advertising purposes. Meta have agreed to stop profiling Tanya – and now it’s your turn to say no to stalker ads!
If you use any Meta products – Facebook, Instagram, Meta Quest or VR, Threads or WhatsApp – you can use our tool to request that they no longer collect or process your data for advertising.
This is known as your right to object, which is enshrined in data protection law. Meta had tried to get around GDPR, but by settling Tanya’s case they have admitted that they need to give their users this right.
Meta harvests your personal data and tracks your behaviour to make assumptions about who you are and what you believe, so that it can sell ‘targeted’ advertising – aka stalker ads. The company’s advertising revenues were $160.6 billion last year.
We’re not saying that Meta shouldn’t sell adverts in order to provide its services for free. They are still free to show people contextual adverts, or non-targeted adverts.
After all this is how most TV and print media provides adverts!
We are stating our legal right to object to targeted adverts based on our personal data.
Meta should give us options for opting out but until they do that, you can use our tool to make this request.
Please note that Meta may ask you to provide proof of who you are via email.
Your are also able to opt-out without using this tool and by sending Meta a direct email. If you prefer to do that then you can use this mailto link
Any personal data you submit with this form will be handled in-line with ORGs privacy policy - https://www.openrightsgroup.org/privacy-policy/
