Meta has announced a paid subscription for Facebook and Instagram that makes the platforms ad-free.
These subscriptions are a reaction to the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which means Meta will have to gain people’s consent before using the tracking technologies that build up each user’s ad profile.
“We believe in an ad-supported internet, which gives people access to personalised products and services regardless of their economic status,” reads Meta’s statement. “But we respect the spirit and purpose of these evolving European regulations, and are committed to complying with them."
How much does a Facebook subscription cost?
Meta’s subscription costs €9.99 a month if you sign up through the web, or €12.99 a month for folks who sign up through the Facebook or Instagram apps.
That’s roughly equivalent to £8.74 or £11.36 a month, but those in the UK won’t get the option to pay yet as these subscriptions are only open to people in the EU, EEA and Switzerland.
It costs more through the Instagram or Facebook apps than the web as that method accrues fees from Apple and Google, which Meta kindly passes on to us.
“If you choose to continue to use our products for free, your experience will stay the same – and that experience will continue to be supported by the tools and settings that we have created to empower people to control their ads experience,” said Meta.
How much money does Meta make from advertising?
Meta reported advertising revenues of £27.5 billion in the third quarter of 2023, and has raked in more than £76 billion in the year to date.
EU regulations put these numbers at risk as they weaken Meta’s ability to know about us and what we’re up to, information used to fine-tune the ad engine that chooses what adverts we see online.
The more tailored Facebook and Instagram advertising can be, the more Meta can charge companies for these ads.
X, formerly known as Twitter, has also announced an ad-free subscription, in addition to its Premium membership.
It’s called Premium+ and costs £16 a month or £168 when bought for a year up-front.
The value of the platform was recently estimated at $19 billion, roughly £15.6 billion. Elon Musk acquired the platform for $44 billion, around £36 billion, just over a year ago on October 27, 2022.
