Instagram, Facebook may soon charge you a fee if you don't want ads

Meta Platforms is considering charging $14 (roughly Rs 1,165) per month for ad-free subscriptions to Instagram or Facebook for European users, according to a proposal submitted to regulators, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. Meta has told regulators it hopes to roll out its subscription no ads (SNA) plan in the coming months for users in Europe, the report said, adding it will give users a choice between continuing to access Instagram and Facebook free with personalised advertisements, or paying for versions of the services without any ads.

Under the plan, Meta has told regulators in Europe, including privacy regulators in Ireland and digital-competition regulators in Brussels, it would charge users roughly 10 euros ($10.46) a month on a desktop for a Facebook or Instagram account, and approximately 6 euros for each additional linked account, the report said. On mobile devices, the price would jump to roughly 13 euros a month because Meta would factor in commissions charged by Apple’s and Google’s app stores on in-app payments, WSJ reported.

Essentially, Meta hopes to circumvent the strict laws in Europe that require a company to seek user consent before showing them personalised advertisements. By offering a separate plan with no advertisements, Meta plans to make up for the potential revenue it could have earned with the ad-supported versions. If users do not opt to pay to use the ad-free platforms, they will see personalised advertisements.

For a long time, Meta’s chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg has insisted that the company’s core services should remain free to use. However, they require advertisements to continue to be available to all sects of people. In markets, such as Europe, it is becoming harder for tech companies to continue with their business strategies as digital privacy becomes paramount. Zuckerberg had previously said that he is open to the idea of a paid service to navigate how its platforms can run like before while complying with tougher security. Meta recently introduced paid verification for the users of Facebook and Instagram.

— Written with inputs from Reuters