Facebook and Instagram users in Europe will now have to pay €10/month for ad-free access or be targeted with personalised adverts
- Meta to offer users in Europe a subscription plan to use Facebook and Instagram
- Will cost €9.99 a month for web users and €12.99 for those with iOS and Android
Facebook and Instagram users in most of Europe can now pay a subscription to have adverts removed from the platform.
Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta, the parent company which owns the two social media sites, said it was launching the new paid-for option to comply with EU regulations.
The change will force millions of users to decide whether they want to face personalised adverts, or fork out the fee for an ad-free offering.
The monthly subscription plans will cost €9.99 (£8.72) for web users, while iOS and Android users will have to shell out €12.99 (£11.35) a month. They will not be available in the UK.
Earlier this year, Meta was fined €390million (£340million) for breaking EU data rules around adverts.
New option: Facebook and Instagram users in most of Europe can now pay a subscription to have adverts removed from the platform (stock image)
READ MORE: Facebook has subtly changed its logo – so, can you tell the difference?
It was told it could not ‘force consent’ by saying consumers must accept how their data is used or leave the platforms.
Meta subsequently said it intended to ask users in the EU for their consent before allowing businesses to target advertising in order to address a number of evolving regulatory requirements in the region.
Offering a choice between a free, ad-supported plan and an ad-free paid subscription might lead to users opting for the former, helping Meta comply with the regulations without affecting its ad business, which is a major revenue source for the company.
Meta said its new subscription was aimed at addressing EU concerns rather than making money.
‘We believe in an ad-supported internet, which gives people access to personalised products and services regardless of their economic status,’ the company said in a blog post.
‘The option for people to purchase a subscription for no ads balances the requirements of European regulators while giving users choice and allowing Meta to continue serving all people in the EU, EEA and Switzerland.
Data: According to Meta, there are currently 258 million monthly Facebook users in the EU, while 257 million users take to Instagram every month
‘We respect the spirit and purpose of these evolving European regulations, and are committed to complying with them.’
Under the plan, Meta will charge €9.99 (£8.72) a month on a desktop for a Facebook or Instagram account.
There will be an extra charge of €6 (£5.24) for each additional linked account.
Meanwhile, on mobile devices, the price for a single account jumps to €12.99 (£11.35).
This is because Meta will have to factor in commissions charged by Apple’s and Google’s app stores.
According to Meta, there are currently 258 million monthly Facebook users in the EU, while 257 million users take to Instagram every month.
Source: Read Full Article