Meta is considering charging EU users up to around 13 euros ($14) to access ad-free versions of Facebook and Instagram, or accepting personalized ads for the free versions of the platforms.
As reported by the Wall Street Journal, the company has submitted the proposal to EU regulators.
Under the plan, Meta would charge around 10 euros per month on a Facebook or Instagram account from a computer and 6 euros for each additional account connected. For users who wish to use the platforms on smartphones, the monthly fee for the ad-free versions would rise to around 13 euros.
Meta was fined €390 million earlier this year by Ireland's privacy commissioner for breaching transparency obligations and adopting an incorrect legal basis when processing users' personal data for advertising purposes.
A Meta spokesperson told the WSJ that the company "believes in free services supported by personalized ads but is exploring options to ensure compliance with evolving regulatory requirements."
The hypothesis of a subscription for Instagram and Facebook for EU users had already circulated a few weeks ago in the New York Times, but there were no figures. In recent weeks, Elon Musk has also raised the possibility of introducing subscriptions for X-Twitter but with the aim of reducing the proliferation of bots, automatic profiles.
(Unioneonline/L)
