(NEXSTAR) – Meta is giving users in 31 countries the option to scroll their feeds without ads – for a price, of course.
Instagram and Facebook users in the European Union, plus Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, can now pay 10 euros (which is about $10.54) a month to use the platforms ad-free on a web browser. For iOS and Android mobile apps, they'll need to pay a bit more – 13 euros ($13.71).
It costs more to use the apps ad-free on mobile to compensate for the cut of in-app purchases that Apple and Google take, Meta says.
Those rates cover a person's Facebook and Instagram accounts for now. But starting in March 2024, users will need to pay an extra 6 euros to cover both on the web or 8 euros to cover both on mobile apps. Users will need to pay even more to cover additional accounts or profiles.
Users 18 and older in those European countries will still have the option to use Instagram and Facebook for free with ads. Companies will still be able to serve them personalized ad campaigns, Meta says.
Meanwhile, teens get to keep using the platforms for free and without ads, the Wall Street Journal reports. In most countries, users have to be at least 13 year old to have a Facebook or Instagram account.
Meta is not offering the same ad-free subscription service in the U.S.
Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, is making the change to comply with changing European regulations. The European Union’s top court ruled that under strict EU data privacy rules, Meta must first get consent before showing ads to users. The ruling jeopardizes the company’s ability to make money by tailoring advertisements for individual users based on their online interests and digital activity.
The company said while it believes in an “ad-supported internet,” it respects “the spirit and purpose of these evolving European regulations,” and is committed to complying with them.
The paid option “balances the requirements of European regulators while giving users choice and allowing Meta to continue serving all people,” Meta said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
