Meta has officially confirmed its decision to introduce a subscription plan for ad-free access to Instagram and Facebook for users in the European Union, EEA, and Switzerland. This move comes a few weeks after Meta first considered the idea, amidst regulatory pressure from the EU regarding the company’s ad targeting and data gathering practices.
The subscription plan is priced at €9.99 per month for web users, while iOS and Android users will have to pay €12.99 per month. Users who opt not to subscribe can still use the services for free, but will continue to see targeted ads.
Until March 1, 2024, the initial subscription will cover all linked accounts in a user’s Accounts Center. However, from March 1, 2024, an additional fee of €6 per month for web users and €8 per month for iOS and Android users will be charged for each extra account listed in a user’s Account Center.
This seems like an insane price. I’m generally not opposed to ad-based services offering an optional subscription to remove ads, but holy shit. $13 / mo. for social media? Fuck the hell off.
Yea ad-based services should provide paid, ad-free alternatives imo, but this pricing is a joke
Facebook average revenue per user (ARPU) as of 2nd quarter 2023, by region (in U.S. dollars)
Q2 '23 :
- US: 53.53
- Europe: 17.88
- Worldwide: 10.63
(Dollars for 3 months)
I bet they’re still gonna track the shit out of the paying subscribers
They never specified this subscription removing anything but ads, soooo
yeah, absolutely
Nice move Meta, you just cemented my decision to leave Facebook / Meta for good. Thanks!
Breathe the free air again, my friend.
Hah, yeah. Like others, I already use uBlock, and I don’t really use Facebook any more. On the other hand, I’m worried about the social implications of not using FB and Messenger. I’ve been planning to move to secure messaging apps, but it almost feels like you’re not a human if you don’t have FB. In that regard, I found switching my email provider easier. But I’ll remove my account eventually, more likely sooner than later.
I assure you, life persists post-social media :) I quit almost a decade ago and felt no difference. Same friends. Same events
