Facebook and Instagram to offer subscription for no ads in Europe

Meta announced Monday that it will offer users in the European Union, the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland the choice to pay a monthly subscription to use Facebook and Instagram without any ads.

Meta Platforms said on Monday it will offer users in Europe a subscription plan to use Facebook and Instagram without advertisements to comply with the European Union regulations.

The monthly subscription plans will cost 9.99 euros ($10.58) for web users, while iOS and Android users will have to shell out 12.99 euros a month.

The EU regulations threaten to curb Meta's ability to personalize ads for users without their consent and hurt its major revenue source.

Offering a choice between a free, ad-supported plan and an ad-free paid subscription might lead to users opting for the former, helping Meta comply with the regulations without affecting its ad business.

Meta was fined 390 million euros earlier this year by Ireland's Data Privacy Commissioner, and was told it cannot use the so-called "contract" as a legal basis to send users ads based on their online activity.