According to reports, Meta is considering offering paid versions of Facebook and Instagram in the European Union (EU). Facebook and Instagram will have an ad-free paid version. In the EU, Meta is facing ad and privacy problems due to tightening laws protecting users’ data.
Facebook and Instagram would be the first to launch free, subscription-free apps. The apps have paid features, but they do not affect the overall usage. New York Times reports that Facebook and Instagram’s paid versions will be ad-free. Advertisements would continue to be offered on the regular Facebook and Instagram platforms.
In recent years, Meta has been at odds with the EU over targeted ads on Facebook and Instagram. Depending on the user’s browsing history and preferences, these ads are shown.
Facebook and Instagram were also affected by the EU’s Digital Services Act last month. As a result, these platforms are prohibited from showing ads based on users’ personal information. In a blog post, Facebook explained how it has been working to comply with the Digital Services Act. The tech giant would suffer a major loss if it lost out on ad revenue because of all this extra work.
