Facebook and Instagram can be used ad-free in the EU from November via new subscription

In a recent press release, Meta announced that Facebook and Instagram users in the European Union and Switzerland will be able to take out a subscription from November that allows them to use both platforms ad-free. The subscription costs EUR 9.99 per month via the websites, or EUR 12.99 via the iPhone or Android apps to cover Apple and Google's platform fees.

Those who take out this subscription will also benefit from the fact that their personal data will no longer be analyzed for the optimization of personalized advertising. A single subscription will be sufficient to remove advertising from all connected Facebook and Instagram accounts. However, from March 1, 2024, Meta will introduce a surcharge of EUR 6 per month for each additional account via the web or EUR 8 per month in the apps.

Meta emphasizes that the group continues to believe in a free, ad-financed internet, and users in Europe will still be able to use Facebook and Instagram without a subscription and with personalized advertising. The fact that this subscription is being introduced is solely due to the fact that the European Union, through the Digital Markets Act and the GDPR, requires that users be able to use platforms without their data being used for advertising purposes. In July, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that a paid subscription is a permissible form of use.