Facebook and Instagram to offer subscription for No Ads in Europe

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, today announced it will offer people in the European Union, European Economic Area, and Switzerland the choice to pay a monthly subscription to use these platforms without any ads. The company says that this is in response to evolving European regulations, and to give users more choice in how their data is used.

Under the new subscription model, users will be able to sign up for a fee of €9.99/month on the web or €12.99/month on iOS and Android. This will give them access to both Facebook and Instagram without any ads. Meta says that people who choose to subscribe will still be able to use all of the features of the platforms, but their information will not be used for advertising.

Meta has said that it believes in an ad-supported internet, but that it respects the spirit and purpose of European regulations. The company says that it will continue to advocate for an ad-supported internet, but that it is also committed to complying with the law.

The new subscription model is expected to be available in November 2023. It is not yet clear how popular the subscription will be, but it is likely to be of interest to users who are concerned about their privacy or who simply want to have an ad-free experience.

In addition to the new subscription model, Meta has also announced that it is moving people in the EU, EEA, and Switzerland to the GDPR legal basis of "Consent" for the purpose of processing data collected on its own platforms for advertising purposes. This change was made in response to a recent ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).

The CJEU ruling found that a subscription model is a valid form of consent for an ads-funded service. This means that Meta is now able to show personalized ads to users who choose to subscribe to its ad-free service.

Overall, the new subscription model and the change to the GDPR legal basis of consent are significant developments for Meta and its users in Europe. The subscription model gives users more choice in how their data is used, and the change to the GDPR legal basis of consent allows Meta to show personalized ads to users who choose to subscribe to its ad-free service.