Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram, is planning to introduce a subscription service for European users of the two social media platforms. The subscription will allow users to avoid targeted ads in exchange for a monthly fee.
This proposal has been presented to European authorities as a way for Meta to circumvent EU regulations that restrict the company's ability to tailor ads to individual users without their consent.
Official representatives from Meta have discussed the proposal with Ireland's Data Protection Commission and the Digital Competition Authority in Brussels.
The initiative is known as SNA (Subscription No Ads), and Meta aims to roll it out in Europe in the coming months. If approved, users will have the option to continue using Facebook and Instagram for free with personalized ads or pay for their accounts to be ad-free.
The cost is expected to be around $10 per month for a desktop profile on either Facebook or Instagram. An additional $6 will be charged for each extra account linked to the subscription.
On mobile devices, the price will be approximately $13 per month due to the commission taken by Apple and Google for purchases made through their app stores.
According to The Wall Street Journal, users in the United States should not expect an ad-free option in the near future.
This is because the proposal is specifically designed to meet the requirements of European regulatory authorities. It remains unclear whether the authorities in Ireland and Brussels will consider the plan to be in compliance with EU legislation, or if they will require Meta to offer a cheaper or free version with standard ads.
