For Facebook and Instagram without ads, Meta may charge users

According to two persons with knowledge of the situation, Meta Platforms planned to launch ad-free subscription packages for Facebook and Instagram users in Europe on Tuesday. There was discussion of other price options, but one of them said that the 10 euro ($10.49) per month plan is the most practical, while the other stated that it would be put into effect in the next months.

With this approach, Meta is attempting to comply with European Union restrictions that might limit its capacity to tailor adverts for users without their knowledge, so negatively impacting its primary source of income. Giving consumers the option between a paid membership and a free, ad-supported plan might encourage them to choose the former, assisting Meta in adhering to rules without negatively impacting its ad revenue. In the meanwhile, a basic plan for Netflix's streaming service costs 7.99 euros, while Spotify's Premium service costs around 11 euros and Alphabet's YouTube Premium costs roughly 12 euros.

According to the second source, Meta would account for the fees imposed by Google and Apple's app stores, which would result in a price increase for a single account on mobile devices to around 13 euros. The Irish Data Privacy Commissioner penalized the social media giant 390 million euros earlier this year and informed it that it could not utilize the legal foundation known as the "contract" to send consumers advertisements based on their online behavior.