What does the new message coming to everyone from Instagram mean: "You need to make a decision to continue using Instagram"?

Nowadays, almost regardless of your age, it's quite likely that, in addition to WhatsApp, you have a profile on one of the other Meta social media apps, whether Facebook, Instagram, or both. And therefore, it's also more than likely that in recent weeks you've received (or will receive soon) a message when you open one of these platforms informing you that, "You must make a decision to continue using Instagram/Facebook."

This is a new agreement that you must accept with Meta if you are a user of either of these two apps and a European citizen . This is because the new regulations for these social networks respond to European regulations on privacy and data protection.

In depth

In recent years, the European Union has been cracking down on all technology companies. For the benefit of European users, since the end of 2023 and throughout 2024, the EU has been tightening the screws on technology companies operating and/or offering products and services in its territory to ensure that the processing of data and the amount of data collected meet standards that do not affect people's privacy and security .

This is because advertising is one of the EU's concerns regarding social media, as both Facebook and Instagram have had personalized ads for each account for a few years now. To do this, like the vast majority of companies, they use cookies to analyze the pages a user visits, their tastes and interests, in order to then show them ads about things they like and find interesting.

The EU doesn't entirely approve of this practice, considering it invasive and a form of commercialization of user information. To avoid sanctions or even the blocking of its apps in the EU, Meta has launched paid versions of Facebook and Instagram where users would not see ads.

How it affects me

It's not a fraudulent message or an account lock, but rather a legal decision imposed on Meta, and it's legitimate if the message appears when logging into Instagram or Facebook. Now, when opening the app, many people are receiving a message giving them two options:

Continue using Instagram for free, but agree to the company using your data to show you personalized ads.
Pay a monthly subscription (around €7.99 per month) to use Instagram without ads and without your data being processed for advertising purposes.

The first option is how the app worked until now , that is, it was free, and the advertising was personalized, while if you pay you get a "premium" account without ads.

Is there any other option?

The truth is that, although Meta doesn't offer it, there is a third option that is a combination of both. This may interest you because it's understandable that you might not want to pay for these social networks, but if you're concerned about your privacy, you should know that personalized advertising can be problematic.

This is primarily because companies collect and analyze vast amounts of personal data about your habits, interests, and online behavior . It can also make you feel like you're being watched or may try to influence your purchasing decisions, among other things.

Fortunately, you can manage your advertising to make it as non-personalized as possible. Although you'll still see ads, they'll be general and less likely to entice you to buy. The steps to follow are: