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

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?