A New Subscription? At least it makes more sense than whatever Twitter/X is doing.
Meta now has an ad-free tier for its platforms, starting in Europe. This means it includes Instagram, WhatsApp, and the Facebook app.
It is a subscription-based model that will start at EUR 10 a month, or approximately PHP 600. Previously, Meta relied on pop-ups and banner ads to make a profit on its social media platforms and these ads track you. They were previously legal under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which came into effect back in 2018. Meta (previously Facebook, Inc.) complied with this regulation and has provided users a free app littered with ads.
A new ruling recalled the GDPR to be reformed and it is now deemed by the European Union that tracking and selling data to third parties are illegal. In related news, Meta was fined USD 1 billion for selling its data from Europe back to the United States. It is stated in EU law that companies that do business there must have their own data center in participating EU countries.
With these new rulings in-effect, Meta responded by giving European Union and Swiss users the option to continue using the free version of their apps with ads, or pay EUR 10 (via browser) or EUR 12 (via app) per month for ad-free access.
Meta said that this decision, first announced in August, stemmed from “evolving and emerging regulations in the region”.
It may be unlikely we’ll see this ad-free version of Facebook here in the Philippines, unless there are stricter data privacy laws enacted. Moreover, according to The Conversation, it is unlikely that the company will pursue this subscription in the United States unless there are heavier data privacy restrictions there.
Source: The Conversation, Wired.com