Meta floats $14 a month ad-free plan for Instagram, Facebook in EU

The Wall Street Journal claimed on Monday that Meta Platforms is considering a proposal that would require European Union users to pay up to $14 to access ad-free versions of Instagram or Facebook or consent to tailored advertisements for the free versions. According to the newspaper, which cited persons acquainted with the concept, Meta would charge approximately 10 euros ($10.46) each month on a desktop for a Facebook or Instagram account, and approximately 6 euros for each subsequent linked account. According to the Wall Street Journal, because Meta would take into account the fees imposed by Apple’s and Google’s app stores, the cost of a single account on mobile devices would increase to about 13 euros. The social media company was fined 390 million euros earlier this year by Ireland’s Data Privacy Commissioner and told it cannot use the so-called “contract” legal basis to send users ads based on their online activity. 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 Reuters’ 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.