If you use Facebook or Instagram, you’ve probably seen all the creepy, invasive ads. Meta, the parent company that owns both platforms, shows you these ads because they know everything about you — including who you love, whether you’re struggling with fertility issues, or if you suffer from problem gambling.
These ads can feel eerily personal, and they can cause serious harm. But here’s what Meta doesn’t want you to know: you have a legal right to object to personalised ads.
The law is clear. Under Article 21 of the GDPR, people have the right to object to the use of their personal data when it comes to direct marketing. When a data controller (in this case, Meta) is using your personal data for the purposes of marketing something directly to you, or profiling you for direct marketing purposes, you can object at any time and they must stop processing your data for these purposes as soon as they receive your objection.
It’s actually pretty simple: all you have to do is contact Meta and state your grounds for objecting. They must then stop processing your data for advertising purposes, unless they can provide a compelling reason for not doing so.
The problem? Even though they’re legally required to stop using your data when you object, they often don’t — and that’s because they know that the Irish Data Protection Commission will let them off the hook.
So, here’s the plan: Uplift members are going to file objections en masse to Meta demanding that they stop using their personal information for advertising. Once enough of us have objected, and if Meta hasn’t complied, we’ll take our case to the DPC and demand that they force Meta to follow the law.
The Uplift staff team is here to help you file your objection every step of the way. Below is a guide that lays out exactly how you can file your objection.
We held a webinar on the Right to Object campaign recently. If you want to catch up, there’s a recording available here.
How to file your objection with Meta
We’ve made it as easy as possible for you to file your objection with Meta — we’ve created an email template, so all you have to do is click a few buttons and add your personal details to the email.
You can access the email tool here.
Click the link and follow the instructions on screen until you get to the page with your email template. This is the text you’ll be sending to Meta.
It’s really important that you add your full name, your email address, and links to your Meta profiles to the email before clicking send. Without this, Meta won’t be able to do anything with your objection.
Scroll down to the email template and you’ll see there are spaces to fill in those details.
It’s really important that you include links to your Facebook and Instagram profiles in your email. If you’re using Facebook on your computer, you can find the link to your profile by clicking the little icon of your profile picture in the top right hand corner. This will bring up a dropdown menu, with your name and profile picture at the top. Click the top button of your name and profile picture. This should bring you to your Facebook profile. At the top of the page you’ll see your cover photo, profile picture and name. All you have to do now is click the address bar so it highlights the URL. Copy this and paste it into the email template.
If you’re looking for your profile link on Instagram, you can do this by clicking “Profile” on the bar on the left hand side of the screen on the desktop. Then all you need to do is click the address bar, highlight the URL, and copy and paste it into your email template.
The importance of using our right to object
Every time people object to Meta’s personalised ads, we chip away at their power. Meta has raked in enormous profits for years because not enough people know that they have the right to object to these invasive ads, and the Irish Data Protection Commission doesn’t properly enforce it.
If we can get enough people objecting, we’ll then be able to take our case to the DPC and demand that they properly enforce the right to object and uphold the laws that were created to protect our personal information.
If you can, please exercise your right to object, and make sure to share this post and our email tool with your friends and family. The more of us that take action, the bigger our impact will be.
