Instagram and Facebook could soon get ad-free options in Europe – for a hefty price
Meta has struggled in the European market for its two major apps, Facebook and Instagram, due to the region’s strict privacy rules. In fact, the tech giant was hit by one record fine of $1.3 billion for the way it mishandled European user data in May 2023 and since then Meta has been trying to avoid direct battles with regulators.
But in a new and exclusive report from The Wall Street Journal (through TechCrunch), Meta has apparently found a solution to the regulatory issues that were first raised back in September – Offer European users an ad-free subscription that allows them to opt out of having their data collected.
Under the plan, Meta would charge €10 (about $17) per month for desktop Facebook and Instagram users and €6 (about $14) for each additional linked account. That price would rise to $13 per month for mobile device users, as Meta takes into account the commissions charged by Apple and Google’s app stores. And what about those who cannot or do not want to pay? Then they will most likely ‘opt-in’ to ads and have their social media use tracked by the tech giant.
TechRadar reached out to Meta for comment to both clarify the reported deal and confirm that users would have to pay for free users. We received the following statement from spokesperson Matt Pollard: “Meta believes in the value of free services supported by personalized advertising. However, we continue to explore options to ensure we comply with changing regulatory requirements. We have nothing further to share at this time.”
The statement neither confirmed nor denied the WSJ report, but did point to the ruling by the Court of Justice of the EU. recent verdict that users should not be denied the use of a service if they do not consent to the data processing. But “users should be offered, if necessary for an appropriate fee, an equivalent alternative that does not involve such data processing activities.” This indicates that Meta is at least interested in charging for opt-outs.
More evidence pointing in that direction comes from an earlier study Meta blog post about the intention to move to consent for ad tracking in the EU. However, that was followed by this statement: “Once this change is implemented, advertisers will still be able to run personalized ad campaigns to reach potential customers and grow their business.”
Of course, that begs the question: could the US see these types of ad-free subscriptions in the future? On the one hand, this is unlikely, as this is primarily only possible in the EU due to the much stricter privacy rules. But if the US government ever decides to tighten its own rules on how data is collected and used by social media giants (and not just TikTok), Meta might have to take this concept across the pond.
So where does Meta stand in all of this? Officially, we only have word from WSJ that Meta is trying to move forward with this subscription, but nothing confirms or denies from the tech giant itself. But going by evidence past and present, it is certainly possible. All we can really do is wait for official confirmation from Meta.