Meta May Charge $14 Fee Per Month For Keeping Instagram And Facebook Ad-Free In The EU

Facebook and Instagram users in the EU may have to shell out around $14 per month on mobile devices and as much as $17 on a desktop, a month.

Social networking giant Meta may charge a fee of $14 to European users, for accessing ad-free versions of Instagram and Facebook, in the wake of the European Union's (EU) comprehensive digital regulation strategy, the media has reported. This is Meta’s bid to navigate strict privacy rules in the region, which will require Meta to get users’ consent in order to show them targeted ads, says a report by CNBC.

Facebook and Instagram users in the EU may have to shell out around $14 per month on mobile devices and as much as $17 on a desktop, a month. Given a choice between a free and ad-supported plan and a paid plan, most users are likely to opt for the former, thus, helping the company comply with regulations without affecting its advertisement revenue.

The social media giant has held dialogue with digital-competition regulators in Brussels, privacy regulators in Ireland and other EU privacy regulators about its proposal, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ). Meta has reportedly named the plan “subscription no ads”, or SNA, and it wants to start introducing it in the coming months.

A Meta spokesperson was quoted as saying by CNBC: “Meta believes in the value of free services which are supported by personalized ads. However, we continue to explore options to ensure we comply with evolving regulatory requirements. We have nothing further to share at this time."

Those who will pay for Facebook and Instagram subscriptions would not see ads in the apps, a previous New York Times (NYT) report said, citing people who spoke on the condition of anonymity. That may help Meta fend off privacy concerns and other scrutiny from EU regulators by giving users an alternative to the company’s ad-based services, which rely on analyzing people’s data, the report had added.

Meta's move was in line with the Digital Services Act (DSA), a revamped set of digital regulations enforced by the EU. The announcement from Meta came shortly after a similar declaration from ByteDance-owned TikTok.

The DSA mandates that major platforms and search engines, referred to as Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) and Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSE), provide EU users with the option to disable AI-driven personalisation. This feature tailors content based on users' tracking and profiling data.