In the real world it's not that simple. I'd love to close down my WhatsApp account - the only Meta service I've ever used - but unfortunately my employer requires us all to be in a WhatsApp group. I don't really have a choice in the matter if I want to get paid.

X is another tough one. Many politicians and public services use it as their primary channel for announcements. I've been using Nitter as a workaround ever since Elon blocked reading feeds without an account, but I feel like I shouldn't need to.

In that case create a work WhatsApp profile that’s separate from your personal info.

Sounds like your work needs to provide you hardware to support their restrictions.

It's worth noting that Meta famously created shadow profiles. Not using a site is not sufficient when your data is for sale or sitting in some unsecured manner, waiting to be stolen.

Who would trust them? Even if one paid to not be tracked, they will still be tracked and that info will generate revenue. Once it's found out, they will pay a pittance fine and continue to track whomever they like.

Source: That's literally how businesses work..outside...right now.

Privacy is not a belief, it is law.

And Facebook said users in the EU can pay. Do you really think users are happy with that?

No, and they won't pay. They'll just hit "accept tracking" and carry on.

And that's exactly the point the EU is making: it's not truly free consent.

So people used their own free will to make a choice that the government doesn’t agree with and therefore a law is needed?

It’s not always as easy. E.g. some small business owners must either maintain a social media presence on popular platforms or lose a significant part of their profits.

Having all users protected by default sounds ideal to me.

and how many small businesses are enabled by being able to target thier audience based on their demographic data?

Users are protected - no one is forced to go to Facebook and businesses have been operating for centuries without social media.

It's really not that hard. Under GDPR you have a right to privacy, and companies can't demand you give it up as part of some kind of condition to gain access to their service.

They came up with an illegal alternative. If they want to run a paid service, fine, but they can't make avoiding tracking contingent on payment.

Okay they can force everyone to pay in the EU. Would that make the regulators happy? Would that make the users happy?