Meta offers ad-free experience for paid subscribers in Europe

Paid subscribers for Facebook and Instagram in Europe, excluding the UK will now get an ad-free experience for €9.99 (£8.72) per month.

Meta was fined €390 million in January for violating EU data regulations pertaining to advertisements. At the time, the regulator declared that the company could not “force consent” by requiring users to authorize the use of their data or quit the platforms.

Beginning in November, only residents of the EU, the Eurasian Economic Area, and Switzerland will be able to access this subscription tier. However, it will initially only be available to those over the age of 18, as the company is now investigating ways to show advertisements to minors in the EU without violating any laws. Meta stated that resolving EU concerns was the primary goal of their new subscription service, not profit.

The options available to users will be to either pay to fully opt out of targeted advertising by eliminating them or to continue using the platforms for free, in which case their data would be collected. However, customers can wind up shelling out more than the initial monthly charge. If paid for on iOS or Android, the service will cost an extra €3 a month to cover the additional costs collected by these platforms.

However, by purchasing the platform through the Facebook and Instagram websites as opposed to the mobile apps, this additional cost can be avoided. Users will have to pay extra starting in March 2024 for any additional account they have on the platforms, such as a personal and business account.

The announcement follows the launch of an ad-free Premium+ subscription by Elon Musk’s X, which costs £16 a month. On X, there’s also a far more affordable subscription plan that offers the ability to modify posts along with the usual premium tier that comes with a blue checkmark and other perks.

Additionally, TikTok has been testing a $4.99 monthly membership to remove commercials. However, there is currently no word on when this will be made available internationally.