Meta Explores Subscription-Based Ad-Free Model for Facebook and Instagram in the EU

The New York Times has reported that Meta Platforms is contemplating introducing paid versions of Facebook and Instagram without ads for users in the European Union (EU). This consideration comes in response to increasing pressure from regulators. According to the report, which quotes three anonymous insiders, paying subscribers would not see ads, although free versions with ads would still be available in the EU.

This potential move could help address privacy concerns and other regulatory issues in the EU by providing an alternative to Meta's ad-supported services, which rely on user data analysis. However, Meta has yet to comment on the situation.

Meta has been under scrutiny from EU antitrust regulators and was defeated in July in a case over a 2019 German ruling that prohibited it from collecting user data without consent. Currently, the cost of these ad-free versions is not known.

The company has been facing regulatory heat and has been charged a daily fine of roughly Rs. 77,51,000 (NOK 1 million) since August 14 for violating user privacy by collecting and using their data for targeted advertising. The company is now seeking a temporary injunction against this order by the Norwegian Data Protection Authority. The agency threatened further fines if the company did not correct the privacy breaches it had identified.