Meta Launch Ad-Free Facebook And Instagram For A Monthly Fee

Following hot on the heels of Musk’s announcement three days ago, of an ad-free monthly subscription plan for X (Twitter), Zuckerberg’s Meta is following suit with details of an ad-free experience for users willing to pay.

The move comes after the EU fined Meta €390million (£340million) earlier in the year for breaking data rules around adverts. The subscription, which will only be available to users over the age of 18 from the EU, EEA, and Switzerland is aimed at addressing the concerns raised by the European Union about the company’s ad targeting and data collection practices by giving users a choice between paying to remove ad targeting or using the service for free but consenting to its data collection practices.

The announcement on Meta’s corporate site doubles down on its commitment to prioritise the ad-supported business model its platform is built upon.

“We believe in a free, ad-supported internet – and will continue to offer people free access to our personalised products and services regardless of income.” 

“Whether people choose to use our products for free with ads or subscribe to stop seeing ads, we are committed to keeping people’s information private and secure, under our own policies as well as the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).”

The plan is set to cost €9.99 a month for access via desktop and €12.99 for access via IOS or Android mobile devices, though Meta does say, “depending on where you purchase it”, which suggests regional variations. 

Initially, the subscription plan will apply across all the user’s linked Facebook and Instagram accounts, but the company has signalled its intention to charge extra for linked accounts, with an additional fee of €6 per linked account accessed on the web or €8 on IOS and Android starting from 1st March 2024.

Three days ago Elon Musk announced a subscription plan for X (Twitter) that included three tiers; the Basic, Premium, and Premium+. Amongst other features, these plans offer a 50 per cent reduction in adverts at the Premium tier and the option for an ad-free experience for Premium+ subscribers.  Unlike Meta, the move from X seems more designed to monetise the platform than address EU data concerns, since the plans are available to countries outside Europe.

The X subscription plan costs €8 (£8) per month on web for Premium and €12 (£13.28) for Premium+ in Spain