Meta introduces ad-free subscription plans for Instagram and Facebook in Europe to address regulatory challenges
Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (Meta), the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, has introduces its ad-free subscription plans for European users. This move aims to address the regulatory scrutiny received by Meta for alleged data protection violations concerning personalised advertising, which could potentially impact Meta's primary revenue source.
Meta’s plans to redesign its social networking services comes as a response to the imposition of a €390 million fine by the Irish Data Protection Commissioner (DPC), which found that placing the legal consent within the terms of service agreement essentially forced users to accept personalised ads, as they would have no other choice but to allow their data to be used if they wished to continue using Meta’s social media services. In consequence of the evolving EU regulatory requirements, Meta has expressed its intention to seek user consent before allowing businesses to target ads.
Under the new arrangements, users are offered a choice between an ad-free paid subscription and a free version for consenting to being targeted by ads based on their personal information. Several pricing options have been under discussion, namely on a monthly subscription basis.
Meta was given a deadline until the end of November to bring its data processing into compliance.
Our previous blog post on the DPC’s €390 million fine on Meta can be found here.
