Meta will offer users in Europe ad-free access to Facebook and Instagram for a subscription fee, starting in November.
Users across the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland will have the option to subscribe to ad-free versions of Facebook and Instagram for €9.99 ($10.57) per month on the web or €12.99 per month on mobile devices.
This move comes in response to increasing regulations around how user data is collected and used in Europe. In July, the EU Court of Justice ruled that businesses must offer customers an alternative service if they don’t want their data collected and sold to advertisers. Meta has said that it will continue to offer ad-supported services in Europe without an additional charge. However, it believes that the subscription option will appeal to users who prefer to avoid ads.
Meta, in a statement, expressed its commitment to supporting an ad-supported internet while respecting evolving European regulations. Their shares saw a 4.3% increase to $309.40 in response to this announcement. Although ad-supported services will still be available without extra charge, Meta plans to introduce fees of €6 per month for web and €8 per month for mobile for each additional account starting in March.
The sources for this piece include an article in Bloomberg.