Consumer Rights Wiki - User contributions [en]

Consent-or-pay

2025-08-28T16:14:25Z

KlartextSpeaker: /* News organizations */ Format + more examples for newsorganizations

{{Stub}}
Consent-or-pay is a business tactic in response to the European Union’s ''[[General Data Protection Regulation]]'' [[General Data Protection Regulation|(GDPR)]]. Under this model, users of a website have to either:

#'''Consent''' to the use of cookies and personal data for targeted advertising, '''or'''
#'''Pay''' a recurring fee, usually a small monthly amount, to access the service without tracking.

The practice generated significant debate among regulators<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chan |first=Kelvin |date=2025-04-23 |title=The European Union hits Apple and Meta with 700 million euros in fines, first under digital rules |url=https://apnews.com/article/apple-iphone-meta-european-union-facebook-technology-7924bfffe1da801a5023057faa9a511b |website=The Associated Press}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-01 |title=Commission sends preliminary findings to Meta over its “Pay or Consent” model for breach of the Digital Markets Act |url=https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_24_3582 |publisher=European Comission |type=Press Release |publication-place=Brussels}}</ref>, policymakers<ref>{{Cite web |last=Illman |first=Erin Jane |date=2024-07-29 |title=Can Privacy Be Bought? How Scrutiny of Meta’s Subscription Model Has Wider Implications –PART II |url=https://natlawreview.com/article/can-privacy-be-bought-how-scrutiny-metas-subscription-model-has-wider-0 |website=The National Law Review}}</ref>, and consumer advocates<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-11-28 |title=noyb files GDPR complaint against Meta over “Pay or Okay” |url=https://noyb.eu/en/noyb-files-gdpr-complaint-against-meta-over-pay-or-okay |website=noyb}}</ref>. Critics describe it as a ''form of coercion'' which ''"coerces people to consent''"<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-11-18 |title=Six years of the GDPR: we won’t pay for our right to data protection |url=https://www.accessnow.org/press-release/gdpr-data-protection-pay-or-consent/ |publisher=accessnow}}</ref> and undermines meaningful consent. Despite controversy, the model is being increasingly adopted by large online platforms and news organizations.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-07-24 |title=noyb's Pay or Okay report: how companies make you pay for privacy |url=https://noyb.eu/en/noybs-pay-or-okay-report-how-companies-make-you-pay-privacy |website=noyb}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=noyb's Pay or Okay report |url=https://noyb.eu/sites/default/files/2025-07/Pay_or_Okay_Report_2025_web.pdf |publisher=[[noyb]] |pages=9, 27}}</ref> As of '''August 2025''', 16 of the 50 largest UK news websites had implemented consent-or-pay.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Press Gazette, More UK news publishers are adopting ‘consent or pay’ advertising model |url=https://pressgazette.co.uk/marketing/consent-or-pay-uk-publishers-advertising-2025/}}</ref>

==Background==
''Main article:'' [[General Data Protection Regulation]]

==How it works==
When a user visits a website, a pop-up consent window is displayed. Traditional options would be '''Accept''' or '''Reject''' cookies. However the user is presented with the options to '''Accept or Pay'''.

*The payment is typically a low fee (around £1.99 per month).
*Many of the sites that use the model were previously free-to-access and funded primarily through advertising.
*Consumers must now “pay” either with their personal data or with money.

This effectively introduces a '''paywall for previously freely accessible content''', even if no traditional subscription model exists.

==Why it is a problem==
{{Ph-T-WIIAP}}

==Meta investigation and fine==
In 2024, Meta has been accused of employing sly workarounds for GDPR, including an earlier version of consent-or-pay. They have since changed the messaging and how its displayed; however, UK visitors to Facebook and Instagram must still choose between consenting to data collection or paying the monthly fee in order to access those platforms.

In June of 2025, the European Commission stated that Meta's continued practice of consent-or-pay may accrue daily fines.

==Other uses==

===News organizations===
Many media outlets adopted Consent-or-pay. Some High-profile european examples include:

* The Mirror
* The Independent
* Der Spiegel
* Der Standard
* Le Monde
* Le Parisien
* Corriere della Sera

==Response==

===Criticisms from policymakers===
Example Text

===Consumer response===
Example Text

==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Common terms]]

Consent-or-pay

2025-08-28T16:01:22Z

KlartextSpeaker: /* How it works */ Formatting and reordering

{{Stub}}
Consent-or-pay is a business tactic in response to the European Union’s ''[[General Data Protection Regulation]]'' [[General Data Protection Regulation|(GDPR)]]. Under this model, users of a website have to either:

#'''Consent''' to the use of cookies and personal data for targeted advertising, '''or'''
#'''Pay''' a recurring fee, usually a small monthly amount, to access the service without tracking.

The practice generated significant debate among regulators<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chan |first=Kelvin |date=2025-04-23 |title=The European Union hits Apple and Meta with 700 million euros in fines, first under digital rules |url=https://apnews.com/article/apple-iphone-meta-european-union-facebook-technology-7924bfffe1da801a5023057faa9a511b |website=The Associated Press}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-01 |title=Commission sends preliminary findings to Meta over its “Pay or Consent” model for breach of the Digital Markets Act |url=https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_24_3582 |publisher=European Comission |type=Press Release |publication-place=Brussels}}</ref>, policymakers<ref>{{Cite web |last=Illman |first=Erin Jane |date=2024-07-29 |title=Can Privacy Be Bought? How Scrutiny of Meta’s Subscription Model Has Wider Implications –PART II |url=https://natlawreview.com/article/can-privacy-be-bought-how-scrutiny-metas-subscription-model-has-wider-0 |website=The National Law Review}}</ref>, and consumer advocates<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-11-28 |title=noyb files GDPR complaint against Meta over “Pay or Okay” |url=https://noyb.eu/en/noyb-files-gdpr-complaint-against-meta-over-pay-or-okay |website=noyb}}</ref>. Critics describe it as a ''form of coercion'' which ''"coerces people to consent''"<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-11-18 |title=Six years of the GDPR: we won’t pay for our right to data protection |url=https://www.accessnow.org/press-release/gdpr-data-protection-pay-or-consent/ |publisher=accessnow}}</ref> and undermines meaningful consent. Despite controversy, the model is being increasingly adopted by large online platforms and news organizations.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-07-24 |title=noyb's Pay or Okay report: how companies make you pay for privacy |url=https://noyb.eu/en/noybs-pay-or-okay-report-how-companies-make-you-pay-privacy |website=noyb}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=noyb's Pay or Okay report |url=https://noyb.eu/sites/default/files/2025-07/Pay_or_Okay_Report_2025_web.pdf |publisher=[[noyb]] |pages=9, 27}}</ref> As of '''August 2025''', 16 of the 50 largest UK news websites had implemented consent-or-pay.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Press Gazette, More UK news publishers are adopting ‘consent or pay’ advertising model |url=https://pressgazette.co.uk/marketing/consent-or-pay-uk-publishers-advertising-2025/}}</ref>

==Background==
''Main article:'' [[General Data Protection Regulation]]

==How it works==
When a user visits a website, a pop-up consent window is displayed. Traditional options would be '''Accept''' or '''Reject''' cookies. However the user is presented with the options to '''Accept or Pay'''.

* The payment is typically a low fee (around £1.99 per month).
* Many of the sites that use the model were previously free-to-access and funded primarily through advertising.
* Consumers must now “pay” either with their personal data or with money.

This effectively introduces a '''paywall for previously freely accessible content''', even if no traditional subscription model exists.

==Why it is a problem==
{{Ph-T-WIIAP}}

==Meta investigation and fine==
In 2024, Meta has been accused of employing sly workarounds for GDPR, including an earlier version of consent-or-pay. They have since changed the messaging and how its displayed; however, UK visitors to Facebook and Instagram must still choose between consenting to data collection or paying the monthly fee in order to access those platforms.

In June of 2025, the European Commission stated that Meta's continued practice of consent-or-pay may accrue daily fines.

==Other uses==

===News organizations===
News organization websites appear to be the most common practitioner of the consent-or-pay model, effectively paywalling their free content by collecting data or money. These organizations include:

*The Mirror
*The Independent

==Response==

===Criticisms from policymakers===
Example Text

===Consumer response===
Example Text

==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Common terms]]

Consent-or-pay

2025-08-28T15:53:25Z

KlartextSpeaker: Formatting introduction. Adding sources

{{Stub}}
Consent-or-pay is a business tactic in response to the European Union’s ''[[General Data Protection Regulation]]'' [[General Data Protection Regulation|(GDPR)]]. Under this model, users of a website have to either:

# '''Consent''' to the use of cookies and personal data for targeted advertising, '''or'''
# '''Pay''' a recurring fee, usually a small monthly amount, to access the service without tracking.

The practice generated significant debate among regulators<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chan |first=Kelvin |date=2025-04-23 |title=The European Union hits Apple and Meta with 700 million euros in fines, first under digital rules |url=https://apnews.com/article/apple-iphone-meta-european-union-facebook-technology-7924bfffe1da801a5023057faa9a511b |website=The Associated Press}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-01 |title=Commission sends preliminary findings to Meta over its “Pay or Consent” model for breach of the Digital Markets Act |url=https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_24_3582 |publisher=European Comission |type=Press Release |publication-place=Brussels}}</ref>, policymakers<ref>{{Cite web |last=Illman |first=Erin Jane |date=2024-07-29 |title=Can Privacy Be Bought? How Scrutiny of Meta’s Subscription Model Has Wider Implications –PART II |url=https://natlawreview.com/article/can-privacy-be-bought-how-scrutiny-metas-subscription-model-has-wider-0 |website=The National Law Review}}</ref>, and consumer advocates<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-11-28 |title=noyb files GDPR complaint against Meta over “Pay or Okay” |url=https://noyb.eu/en/noyb-files-gdpr-complaint-against-meta-over-pay-or-okay |website=noyb}}</ref>. Critics describe it as a ''form of coercion'' which ''"coerces people to consent''"<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-11-18 |title=Six years of the GDPR: we won’t pay for our right to data protection |url=https://www.accessnow.org/press-release/gdpr-data-protection-pay-or-consent/ |publisher=accessnow}}</ref> and undermines meaningful consent. Despite controversy, the model is being increasingly adopted by large online platforms and news organizations.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-07-24 |title=noyb's Pay or Okay report: how companies make you pay for privacy |url=https://noyb.eu/en/noybs-pay-or-okay-report-how-companies-make-you-pay-privacy |website=noyb}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=noyb's Pay or Okay report |url=https://noyb.eu/sites/default/files/2025-07/Pay_or_Okay_Report_2025_web.pdf |publisher=[[noyb]] |pages=9, 27}}</ref> As of '''August 2025''', 16 of the 50 largest UK news websites had implemented consent-or-pay.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Press Gazette, More UK news publishers are adopting ‘consent or pay’ advertising model |url=https://pressgazette.co.uk/marketing/consent-or-pay-uk-publishers-advertising-2025/}}</ref>

==Background==
''Main article:'' [[General Data Protection Regulation]]

==How it works==
When viewing a website, consumers are greeted with a pop-up display on the use of cookies. Instead of the usual Accept or Reject options, users are now greeted with Accept or Pay, often with a small sum of about £1.99 per month. While this appears similar to a subscription model, many of the companies who implement consent-or-pay are considered free. The practice effectively paywalls the website's content, and viewers must now pay either with their personal data or with a monetary fee.

==Why it is a problem==
{{Ph-T-WIIAP}}

==Meta investigation and fine==
In 2024, Meta has been accused of employing sly workarounds for GDPR, including an earlier version of consent-or-pay. They have since changed the messaging and how its displayed; however, UK visitors to Facebook and Instagram must still choose between consenting to data collection or paying the monthly fee in order to access those platforms.

In June of 2025, the European Commission stated that Meta's continued practice of consent-or-pay may accrue daily fines.

==Other uses==

===News organizations===
News organization websites appear to be the most common practitioner of the consent-or-pay model, effectively paywalling their free content by collecting data or money. These organizations include:

*The Mirror
*The Independent

==Response==

===Criticisms from policymakers===
Example Text

===Consumer response===
Example Text

==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Common terms]]