European Facebook users can pay to be unobtrusive with ads

Meta announced that from November, users in the European Union, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, can purchase a monthly subscription to access the ad-free platform for €9.99 on the web and €12.99 on iOS and Android.

From March 1, 2024, each user's sub-account will cost an additional 6 EUR/month on the web and 8 EUR/month on iOS and Android.

Meta still allows users to use Facebook and Instagram for free but they have to watch ads. (Photo: Alamy Stock)

This is part of an effort to comply with European regulations that limit the use of personalized advertising by US tech companies. Over the past year, the EU has tightened regulations and will soon require Big Tech to ask users for permission for such ads.

In July, a court ruled that tech companies could use subscriptions to deliver advertising, asking users if they wanted to pay to use Facebook and Instagram ad-free. Users would still be able to access Instagram and Facebook for free, but would have to view ads. Meta’s plans have not yet been implemented outside Europe.

Under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), companies can collect and use EU citizens’ personal data as long as the use falls into certain categories. Meta has previously argued that collecting data for advertising is necessary to fulfill the platform’s obligations to end users to provide services. However, privacy advocates and regulators say that does not justify using private data for advertising.

On the blog, Meta asserted that it “believes in a free, ad-supported Internet and will continue to allow people to access personalized products and services for free without regard to revenue.”

(According to CNN)

Nearly 4 billion people use Meta's services every month. Sharing at the Q3/2023 business results report meeting, Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that nearly 4 billion people use Meta's services every month.

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