Meta is responding to "evolving European regulations" by introducing a premium subscription option for Facebook and Instagram from Nov. 1.
Anyone over the age of 18 who resides in the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA), or Switzerland will be able to pay a monthly subscription in order to stop seeing ads. Meta states that "while people are subscribed, their information will not be used for ads."
For Facebook and Instagram users under the age of 18, Meta says "we're continuing to explore how to provide teens with a useful and responsible ad experience given this evolving regulatory landscape."
This new subscription is optional, and users can continue to use Facebook or Instagram for free as long as they are willing to keep seeing ads and agree to have their information used for ads. Many users are likely to accept the ads because the subscription certainly isn't cheap.
Subscribing via the web costs around $10.50 per month, but subscribing on an Android or iOS device pushes the cost up to almost $14 per month. The difference in price is down to the commission Apple and Google charge for in-app payments.
The monthly charge covers all linked accounts in a user's Accounts Center. However, that only applies until March 1 next year. After that, an extra $6 per month will be payable for each additional account listed in a user's Accounts Center. That extra charge increases to $8.50 per month on Android and iOS.
As to why the company decided to do this, Meta explains:
"We believe in an ad-supported internet, which gives people access to personalised products and services regardless of their economic status ... But we respect the spirit and purpose of these evolving European regulations, and are committed to complying with them ... The option for people to purchase a subscription for no ads balances the requirements of European regulators while giving users choice and allowing Meta to continue serving all people in the EU, EEA and Switzerland."
Meta's decision to offer an ad-free experience follows Twitter introducing an ad-free Premium+ tier last week for $16 per month. Premium+ doesn't just remove the ads, though, with subscribers gaining a larger "visibility" boost for replies and a "full suite" of creator tools are promised eventually.