Work

Does Ad-Free Mean Less Data Collection? An Empirical Study of Platform Data Practices and User Expectations

Year: 2026

Type: conference-paper

Abstract: Online platforms increasingly offer ''paid'' ad-free subscriptions as an alternative to the traditional ''free'' ad-based model. The transition to ad-free models ostensibly removes advertising as a key justification for data processing under the GDPR. So, normatively, platforms should collect less user data. However, platforms may justify continued data collection as a means to provide an improved, personalized experience. This tension between privacy principles and platform incentives raises a critical underexplored question: do data collection practices vary between ad-free and ad-based subscription models?

Source: International World Wide Web Conference (WWW)

DOI: 10.1145/3774904.3792558

Authors: Sepehr Mousavi, Abhisek Dash, Savvas Zannettou, Krishna P. Gummadi

Institutions: Max Planck Institute for Software Systems, Delft University of Technology

Language: English

Topic: Privacy, Security, and Data Protection

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

OpenAlex ID: W7127320139

FWCI:

Cites: 24

Cited by:

Related to: 10