Be Prepared To Pay To Avoid Ads On Facebook And Instagram
Facebook and Instagram users now have the option to pay a monthly fee to stop seeing ads on the platforms. These changes have been announced this week, and Meta says they will be available to users in certain parts of the world from November onwards.
These monthly subscription fees for Facebook and Instagram users are different if they sign up online, and slightly higher if they do it via Android and iOS, just like how Elon Musk decided to price his X platform. Meta is moving to the subscription route in Europe mainly due to new regulations in the region, forcing companies like Meta to stop serving ads to their users.
Subscription fees for Facebook and Instagram in Europe: You pay here
If users in Europe are happy to see ads in their Facebook and Instagram feeds, they can continue to use the free version of these apps. However, if you are annoyed by ads on these platforms, Meta will charge you 9.99 euros per month and 12.99 euros per month online and on Android/iOS.
Meta clearly states the reason for the price difference, and it is related to Google’s and Apple’s app store practices. “As with many online subscriptions, iOS and Android pricing takes into account fees charged by Apple and Google through their respective purchasing practices,” Meta mentioned in this post.
The new EU rules affect people in the EU, the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland, where companies like Meta are restricted from collecting user data for advertising purposes. The company says in its defense that it believes in an ad-supported Internet that helps small businesses reach customers and enable their growth.
So what happens to those who use Facebook and Instagram for free via-a-vis those who pay for these apps, will they have a different experience? Meta assures that nothing will change for those who use its products for free, in this case on Facebook and Instagram in these countries. Interestingly, the subscription plans are only available to users over 18 years of age. Musk has already started charging for the X, which now has different plans if people want to stop seeing ads and other perks.
