According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Meta Platforms is looking into a scheme that might require European Union (EU) users to pay up to US$14 (RM66.14) to use Instagram or Facebook without adverts or consent to individualised ads for the free versions.
According to the report, which cited sources involved, Meta would charge around €10 (US$10.46 or RM49.52) each month on a desktop for a Facebook or Instagram account, and roughly €6 for each additional linked account.
The report also stated that the price of a single account on mobile devices would increase to around €13 because Meta would factor in commissions imposed by Apple’s and Google’s app stores.
The social network corporation was told earlier this year that it cannot use the so-called “contract” legal basis to send users adverts based on their online activities and was fined €390 million by Ireland’s Data Privacy Commissioner.
As a result of a variety of shifting legislative requirements in the area, Meta later declared it would need users’ permission before allowing businesses to target advertising in the EU.
According to the source, Meta has now informed European regulators that it intends to introduce the subscription no advertisements, or ad-free, plan for users in Europe in the upcoming months.
The company supports “free services that are supported by personalised ads,” according to a Meta representative, but is looking into “options to ensure we comply with evolving regulatory requirements.”
Reuters contacted Meta, the Irish Data Protection Commission, and the European Commission after regular business hours but none of them responded.
The New York Times was the first publication to reveal that Meta was exploring paid versions of Facebook and Instagram for users located in the EU, which would be free of advertisements.