EU, Meta Social Networks May Become Paid (Ad-Free)

Meta is reportedly exploring the possibility of making its popular social networks paywalls in Europe. This concerns some of the most popular applications that have now become an integral part of the daily habits and needs of millions of people.

This was reported by the Wall Street Journal, which echoes rumors already published a month ago by the New York Times: Meta could submit a plan to the EU regulator to force Instagram and Facebook users to pay up to $14 (€13) to access ad-free versions of the popular social networks, with another $6 charge for each additional profile. These will be monthly payments, not annual.

This would be a landmark change for Mark Zuckerberg’s company. “Meta believes in the value of free services supported by personalized advertising. However, we continue to evaluate options to meet changing regulatory requirements. We currently have no further information to share,” a Meta spokesperson explained, according to Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. The key concept is that you can choose not to see ads or share your personal data, but you’ll have to pay a fee for that.

In early 2023, Meta was fined €390 million by the Irish Privacy Commissioner due to certain breaches relating to obligations on transparency and processing of personal data. Elon Musk has also explained in recent days that his X-Twitter may become paid, in which case the goal would be to stop the spread of bots.