Pay to use Facebook and Instagram without ads? Meta reassessed its expectations and reduced the subscription price to 6 euros per month. It expects to attract more users who want to avoid targeted advertising.
Social networks Instagram and Facebook must offer residents of the European Union an alternative access to ad-free services. Various attempts and tricks failed, so Meta decided some time ago to compensate for the loss of advertising income with a special subscription. However, his height was absurdly tall. So high that only a few people would subscribe to the services. But the European Union has put pressure on the company to allow users to decide whether they want to share their private information, which would be used for targeted advertising. The result? An even cheaper subscription that Meta announced these days.
Why subscription and why in the EU?
She came up with the idea of the Meta subscription precisely as a reaction to stricter rules in the field of personal data protection in the countries of the European Union. From users who pay for a subscription, the company will not collect data for the purpose of personalizing advertising, which is one of the main requirements of European legislation. As a result of the regulations of the European Court of Justice, Meta may not use personal data without the explicit consent of users. This modification, which introduced the option to pay for using Facebook and Instagram without ads, allows the company to continue to provide its services in accordance with European regulations, while continuing to generate income.
A significant discount – a step towards greater interest?
The initial subscription prices, at an absurd amount of around 10 euros for one platform and 13 euros for a bundle of both apps, were reduced by 40 percent after criticism and lower interest. This price adjustment is intended to attract more users who are willing to pay for the protection of their privacy. Despite the discount, the initial price of 6 euros for “ad-free” access to one application is high. However, Meta claims that, based on its internal research, it is reasonable and meets the expectations of most users.
How will it work?
Users who subscribe to the ad-free version get access to Facebook and Instagram without any sponsored content. Meta also promises to give these users more control over what posts they see in their feeds. This means that unlike traditional models where content on Facebook and Instagram is often customized based on analytics and algorithms based on tracking user activity, content will be driven by algorithms that will not include personalized advertising.
The subscription will only be available in the European Union, Switzerland, Norway and Iceland, while Meta has no plans to expand this model outside of Europe. The company emphasizes that its main concern is the protection of personal data of European users, and therefore sees no reason to introduce this model globally at the moment.
Source: vat.pravda.sk
