Staff Reporter
SOCIAL media giants Facebook and Instagram will be launching an ad-free subscription tier across the European Union in 2024, including Spain. That’s according to an announcement made on Monday by the companies’ parent group, Meta Platforms.
The monthly plans will be available to users in the EU, as well as those in the European Economic Area and Switzerland, and will cost €9.99 for web users, according to a report from Reuters.
Anyone using Apple’s iOS operating system, or Android, will have to pay €12.99 a month.
The plan comes in the wake of European Union regulations, which are threatening Meta’s ability to personalise its advertisements on Facebook and Instagram without users’ express consent.
The new rules are a major threat to Meta’s primary source of revenue.
Meta has been coming under increasing antitrust pressure in the EU, according to Reuters, having lost a battle in Germany earlier this year over its handling of user data.
“We respect the spirit and purpose of these evolving European regulations, and are committed to complying with them,” Meta wrote in a blog post announcing the plan.
“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,” it continued.
In January, Meta was fined €390m for breaking European Union data regulations covering advertisements, the BBC reported.
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