Shillong, October 3: Meta is reportedly considering a fee of $14 for accessing an ad-free version of Instagram or Facebook in Europe. Users in the region will have the choice to pay this fee or opt for personalized ads.
For users who wish to access both Instagram and Facebook, a combined subscription is available for $17 per month, as per The Wall Street Journal.
Meta is presenting these pricing options to EU regulators, responding to concerns about the use of personal data for targeted ads without the consent of European citizens by Mark Zuckerberg’s company.
By the end of the month, users in the EU may have three choices: pay for the service, use it for free with personalized ads, or consider discontinuing usage – the latter becoming an attractive option, as mentioned in the report.
Subscribers will enjoy an ad-free experience, while Meta will continue to offer free versions of the apps supported by ads within the EU. This move comes after the EU mandated that Meta seek permission from users before displaying targeted advertising, following a series of regulatory challenges to its financial strategy.
Earlier reports indicated that Meta is testing a new subscription service allowing Facebook and Instagram users to pay for a verified account.