In order to comply with EU rules on consent, the Meta group has launched a paid version of its social networks Facebook and Instagram, which allows you to use these platforms without seeing advertisements. Based on a decision by the Court of Justice of the EU, the group considered that by choosing to use its social networks for free, instead of taking out a subscription without ads, users consent to targeted advertising.
However, the creation of this paid option, which is not part of Meta’s business model, has not appeased regulators or certain NGOs. Meta believes that the requests it received “go beyond what is written in the law”. But he still decided to make new concessions. First of all, the group announces a reduction in prices for the ad-free versions of Facebook and Instagram.
The monthly subscription goes from 9.99 euros to 5.99 euros per month on the web, or from 12.99 euros to 7.99 euros per month on iOS and Android (taking into account the commissions charged by the platforms). Additional Facebook or Instagram accounts, for their part, cost 4 euros per month on the web and 5 euros per month on iOS or Android. Comparing its subscription to those found on the web, for example for streaming services, Meta estimates that it is now one of the cheapest on the market. “While we recently asked all EU citizens to choose their preferred advertising experience on Facebook and Instagram, we will again ask them to decide if they want to subscribe at this lower price”also writes Meta.
We can also opt for less targeted advertising, without paying
Even if you do not take a paid Meta subscription, you will be able to choose a new option which will allow you to see less targeted advertisements. “In the coming weeks, EU citizens who use Facebook and Instagram for free with ads will be able to choose to see less personalized ads,” explains the group. Concretely, Meta will use less personal data to select the advertisements to display and will rely only on the context (such as the content displayed during a session), and “minimal” information such as age, location, gender or even engagement with advertisements. Meta warns, however, that because it uses less data, people who choose this option will see less relevant ads.
“In a low-data environment, we will also introduce ad breaks to allow advertisers to reach a wider audience. This means that some of the ads users will see in the less personalized ad experience won’t be able to be interrupted for a few seconds.also indicates the company. If you choose this option, you may quickly turn back because of irrelevant ads and this new ad format.
- To comply with EU rules, Meta launched a paid subscription that allows you to use Facebook and Instagram without seeing ads
- To meet new demands, Meta has just reduced the prices of this subscription, and is also launching a free option which allows you to see less targeted advertisements.
- When this option is chosen, Meta uses a minimum amount of data to choose which ads to display
