Instagram and Facebook users in Europe could soon have to pay €13/MONTH to access ad-free versions of the apps, Meta plans reveal
- Meta is exploring a new paid plan for users in the European Union
- Under the plan, users will have to pay €13 (£11.28)/month for ad-free app access
They’re two of the most popular apps on both the App Store and Google Play Store.
But Instagram and Facebook users in Europe could soon have to shell out as much as €13/month (£11.28/month) to access ad-free versions of the apps.
Meta, the parent company of the apps, is exploring a new paid plan for users in the European Union, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The change will force millions of users to decide whether they want to face personalised adverts, or fork out the fee for an ad-free offering.
According to Meta, there are currently 258 million monthly Facebook users in the EU, while 257 million users take to Instagram every month.
They’re two of the most popular apps on both the App Store and Google Play Store. But Instagram and Facebook users in Europe could soon have to shell out as much as €13/month to access ad-free versions of the apps
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Under the plan, Meta will charge roughly €10 (£8.68) a month on a desktop for a Facebook or Instagram account, the report said, citing people familiar with the proposal.
There will be an extra charge of €6 (£5.21) for each additional linked account.
Meanwhile, on mobile devices, the price for a single account jumps to roughly €13 (£11.28).
This is because Meta will have to factor in commissions charged by Apple’s and Google’s app stores, WSJ said.
The news comes as the social media giant was fined €390 million (£338 million) earlier this year by Ireland’s Data Privacy Commissioner.
It was told it cannot use the so-called ‘contract’ legal basis to send users ads based on their online activity.
On mobile devices, the price for a single account jumps to roughly €13 (£11.28) because Meta will have to factor in commissions charged by Apple’s and Google’s app stores, WSJ said
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Meta subsequently said it intended to ask users in the EU for their consent before allowing businesses to target advertising in order to address a number of evolving regulatory requirements in the region.
Meta has now told European regulators it hopes to roll out the ad-free plan, which it calls ‘subscription no ads’ (SNA), in the coming months for users in Europe, the report said.
A Meta spokesman told the Journal that the company believes in ‘free services which are supported by personalized ads’ but is exploring ‘options to ensure we comply with evolving regulatory requirements.’
Meta, Ireland’s Data Protection Commission and the European Commission did not respond to requests for comment outside regular business hours.
The New York Times first reported that Meta was considering paid versions of Facebook and Instagram with no ads for users residing in the EU, without giving details about how much they would cost.
Unsurprisingly, the news has not gone down well among users.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), one user wrote: ‘Zuckerberg is greedy.
‘Facebook already has very high profits from its dubious schemes.’
Another added: ‘Bye bye instagram,’ while one questioned: ‘Who would even pay for this?’
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