Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, will launch a subscription-based, ad-free version of its social media sites in the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA), and Switzerland. This disclosure was made via a Meta blog post and confirms the recent Wall Street Journal story that sparked this development.
The Meta ad-free subscription service is expected to launch in the next month, according to TechCrunch. The social media giant made this strategic decision after years of EU privacy lawsuits, regulatory enforcement, and court verdicts. As a result of these legal disputes, Meta is unable to maintain its position that tracking and profiling users for ad targeting is a contractual right or a legitimate interest. Although it is still using these procedures, Meta has previously said that it intended to switch to a consent-based strategy.
How Much is Meta Ad-Free Subscription?
The sole remaining option available to Meta for its monitoring and profiling ad business under local data privacy rules is to get users' voluntarily consented permission. Privacy activists, however, take issue with Meta's notion of "free consent" in light of its "pay us or be tracked" subscription proposition. Users are effectively given two options under this model: either pay a price to get an ad-free experience or consent to have their data monitored for targeted advertising.
The Meta ad-free subscription cost to avoid monitoring and targeting, as stated in Meta's blog post, will be €9.99 ($10.59) per month for online users or €12.99 ($13.77) per month for iOS or Android users with connected Facebook and Instagram accounts under the user's Accounts Center. Each extra account mentioned in a user's Account Center will be subject to an additional price of €6 ($6.36) per month on the web and €8 ($8.48) per month on iOS or Android as of March 1, 2024. The price of protecting anonymity for those who use many accounts on Meta's social networks might mount rapidly.
Right to Privacy Should Be Free
Notably, Reuters reported that the Data Privacy Commissioner in Ireland fined Meta €390 million ($413 million) earlier this year and told the company not to use the "contract" as justification for showing consumers advertisements based on their online behavior. In response, Meta said that to comply with changing legal requirements, it would first get users' permission in the EU before allowing companies to target ads.
A prominent opponent of Meta's data practices, Max Schrems, attacked the membership costs and threatened legal action, claiming that they essentially commodify basic rights. According to Schrems, "Fundamental rights cannot be for sale," and this idea may establish unsettling precedents, per The Guardian.
Meta is adapting to the new regulations and trying to find a middle ground between privacy and profit as the legislative environment in the EU keeps evolving. It's uncertain how customers and the wider society will respond to this approach.
The Digital Markets Act and Digital Services Act of the EU mandate that Meta's platforms get users' express agreement before monitoring them for advertising reasons. The purpose of these new regulations is to control the actions of large digital corporations, particularly concerning their use of personal information for targeted advertising.
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