Schibsted is now giving Norwegian readers a choice—either agree to have your data used for advertising, or pay an extra 39 kroner per month. VG, Aftenposten, and Bergens Tidende are the first to offer this. The Norwegian Data Protection Authority called it bad news for privacy on the same day it was launched.
Facebook tried the same thing three years earlier. They said pay 100 kroner a month, or we will use your data against you. It ended with a 2 billion kroner fine from the EU. The verdict was clear - it is not a real choice when the alternative is to pay.
Both build profiles on you over the years. Both are difficult to opt out of. Schibsted dominates Norway — VG, Aftenposten, Finn.no, Podme. If you're looking for a job, buying a home, or selling your car, Finn.no is almost impossible to avoid. Facebook has your friends and family. You can get by without Aftenposten — but not without a place to live or a car.
The real difference is what you pay to avoid. At Schibsted, they charge you to not sell your data to their advertising partners. The profile Schibsted itself has on you remains. At Facebook, they charge you to not use your profile to target ads to you in your feed. They have the profile regardless.
What applies to both - privacy is a human rights, not a subscription. When Schibsted and Facebook set a price, they are simultaneously saying what they think your personal data is worth. 39 kroner. 100 kroner. The question the reader should ask themselves is not whether it's a lot or a little. The question is whether a human right should have a price at all.
**Practical point:**
Do you run a business where you ask for consent to share personal data? Questions you should then ask yourself: Will they get what they came for if they say no? And if you charge money for privacy — what does that say about the value you place on privacy? If you don't have good answers, it's a sign that the model should be rethought.
Inspired by: The Norwegian Data Protection Authority