Last month, Facebook rolled out a paid subscription model in Europe that allows users to pay a monthly fee to opt out of targeted ads. The company created this service to get around strict privacy protections in the EU and prevent regulators from slapping Facebook with hefty fines. However, the largest consumer rights group in Europe filed a complaint against Facebook this week claiming that the company is only making user privacy problems worse by effectively charging them to keep their data safeguarded.

The advocacy group, called the European Consumer Organization (BEUC), claims that the monthly subscription price is too high, and that Facebook is using “unfair, deceptive and aggressive practices” with consumers regarding the plan.

“Meta is misleading [customers] by presenting the choice as between a paying and a ‘free’ option, while the latter option is not ‘free’ because consumers pay Meta through the provision of their data, as past court rulings have already declared,” the BEUC said.

However, some experts have expressed skepticism that the BEUC’s case will make an impact because it’s largely based on the question of if the monthly subscription price is “reasonable.” That’s difficult to define, and it could give Facebook wiggle room to win here. However, this isn’t the only complaint about Facebook’s alleged “pay for privacy” model, so time will tell if it stands.

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