Report: Meta is Planning Ad-Free Subscriptions for Facebook and Instagram in Europe

Meta is reportedly planning to give Facebook and Instagram users in Europe the choice to pay a monthly subscription to get an ad-free experience on these platforms. According to the Wall Street Journal, Meta recently made this proposition to EU privacy regulators in September in response to a new EU ruling requiring the company to obtain user consent before showing personalized ads in Europe.

“Meta has told regulators it hopes to roll out the plan—which it calls SNA, or subscription no ads—in coming months for European users. It would give users the choice between continuing to access Instagram and Facebook free with personalized ads, or paying for versions of the services without any ads, people familiar with the proposal said,” The Wall Street Journal reports.

The report says that Meta could charge approximately €10/month for an ad-free experience on Facebook or Instagram, and adding another account would cost an extra €6/month. On mobile, the base price rise to €13/month due to the 30% cut that Apple and Google take on in-app subscriptions in their respective app stores.

Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, a Meta spokesman said that the Facebook and Instagram owner believes in “free services which are supported by personalized ads” but that it’s also exploring “options to ensure we comply with evolving regulatory requirements.” Europe is a big market for Meta, which reported an estimated 258 million monthly Facebook users and 257 million Instagram users in Europe in the first half of 2023.

Meta has already started dabbling with subscriptions with its Meta Verified program, which is currently available in select regions. In the US, users can pay $11.99/month (or $14.99/month on mobile) to get a verified checkmark and other perks for their Facebook or Instagram accounts.

If Meta does go forward with its plan to introduce ad-free subscriptions in Europe, it will be interesting to see how many users are ready to pay to get an ad-free experience on those platforms. Last month, the company also dismissed a report claiming that ads could also come to WhatsApp, which is currently the only Meta app with no ads.