According to a report, Instagram and Facebook could soon be available in some countries without any ads as part of the company’s efforts to comply with privacy regulations. Parent company Meta has reportedly pitched regulators the possibility of offering users the ability to pay a monthly fee instead of viewing personalised ads based on their information. Meta does not currently charge users for access to the company’s core services in any region, but privacy-related regulation is set to impact the company’s revenue that relies on showing its users personalised advertisements.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Meta has proposed charging users in the European Union up to EUR 13 (roughly Rs. 1,130) a month for access to an ad-free version of Facebook or Instagram on mobile — the price for users who sign up via the web browser would be EUR 10 (roughly Rs. 870) as the company wouldn’t need to pay Apple or Google the in-app purchase commission. Users would need to pay another EUR 6 (roughly Rs. 520) for each additional account.
The “subscription no ads” plan — or SNA — will be offered to European users, the company said in discussions with privacy watchdogs in Belgium and Ireland last month, according to the report. However, users in the US and other regions are unlikely to gain access to the ad-free plan in the near future.
Meta’s core services are currently available for free to all users on the platform, and the firm’s photo and video sharing, chat, and social networking services are supported by targeted advertisements that are based on user’s personal information. However, a recently passed regulation in the EU will require Facebook and Instagram to offer users the ability to opt out of the company using their personal information to target them with advertisements.
Last month, it was reported that Meta was mulling paid versions of Instagram and Facebook aimed at EU users, while users who did not pay for a subscription would continue to see ads on the service. The social media giant has already been fined in some regions — including Norway — for failing to comply with privacy regulations and using personal information to show users targeted advertisements.