It was previously reported that Meta will provideUse in paid form, and remove advertising from Facebook and Instagram services,wall street journalSources indicate that this version of Instagram will cost $14 per month, while the ad-free desktop versions of Facebook and Instagram are expected to cost $17 per month.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Meta has held discussions with the European Commission in Brussels and the Irish Data Protection Commission about offering a clearer choice for users to decide whether to pay a monthly fee for an ad-free service or agree to provide personal data for a free version that includes various advertising exposures.
If Meta's proposed price range is between $14 and $17 per month, roughly matching Netflix's monthly subscription price, most users will likely opt for the free version and consent to provide their personal data. This would allow Meta to comply with EU privacy regulations and still profit even if users opt for a paid subscription.
Due to the General Data Protection Regulation (GPDR) currently being implemented in the European Union, as well as the subsequent Digital Markets Act and Digital Services Act, Meta may face user data usage issues when implementing its services in the EU. For example, in May of this year, Meta was fined €5 billion by the EU for storing EU user data on servers in the United States. Earlier, the EU fined Meta €12 million for leaking the mobile phone numbers and other information of millions of users.
It is still unclear whether Meta will launch a paid subscription service in the EU as reported, but considering that nearly 25% of its revenue comes from the EU, it is expected that Meta will be more cautious in devising a better solution.
