Forget Facebook and Instagram ad tracking with a 9.99 euros subscription 🥷🏾

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Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has found a way to avoid having to stop tracking users who request it. It has decided to offer an ad-free, non-targeting experience, but to do so, it’s making users pay the price. 💰

Make your choice with or without advertising🧐

For some years now, Facebook has claimed on its website that access was free and would remain so forever. However, this statement has been withdrawn, as a paid version will be available in a few days’ time. Starting in November, Facebook and Instagram will offer a paid subscription to residents of the European Union, the European Economic Area and Switzerland.

This is not a forced transition to a paid subscription, but a new option for users: « In November, we will be offering people who use Facebook or Instagram and reside in these regions the choice to continue using these personalised services for free with ads, or subscribe to stop seeing ads » since the aim is to « comply with evolving European regulations ».

Subscriptions from €9.99 🤑

This subscription will enable users to enjoy an ad-free experience for a fee. Meta’s paid subscription rates are as follows:

• 9.99€ per month for web registration,
• 12.99€ per month for Android and iOS. The higher rate is due to the fees imposed by Google and Apple on their application stores.

Regardless of where you purchase, the subscription will apply to all linked Facebook and Instagram accounts in a user’s Accounts Center.

At launch, the subscription will be valid for all linked Instagram and Facebook accounts in the user’s account space. However, from March 1, 2024, the subscription will only cover the main account. You will then need to add 6 euros per month for each additional account via a browser, or 8 euros for a mobile subscription. That’s a lot of money!

A practice « permitted » by the European Union ⚖️

Meta explains that it believes in « ad-supported internet – and will continue to offer people free access to our personalised products and services regardless of income » and that it will continue to promote this. Laudable, however, Mark Zuckerberg’s company has only found this way of complying with European requirements without significantly affecting its bottom line. At almost 10 euros a month, it’s unlikely that the number of subscribers will be high. That leaves a large number of users subject to ad tracking. What genius!

Offering this option to everyone would have resulted in considerable losses for the company. According to the American company, the European Court of Justice ruled that this subscription model was a valid form of consent to a service financed by ad tracking.

However, will platform users be willing to pay for this subscription? Despite its high cost, some might be tempted by this new option, given that ads can disrupt the daily experience on Instagram and Facebook.

Source: Meta