Prepare to pay for Instagram and Facebook if you want to get rid of ads

Don’t we just treasure social media and spending time on screens? Which aspect of it irritates you the most, though? Yes, the advertisements! All across our feeds, random advertisements keep popping. Every now and then, we’re left wondering how the advertisement could possibly be so true.

Ad-free Facebook and Instagram would have been so lovely.

It’s possible that all of our desires will be fulfilled, after all. Ads may soon be removed from Meta’s platform. Following in the footsteps of TikTok, which offers a $5 monthly membership plan without advertisements, Meta may also be implementing ad-free versions on its platforms.

Meta may implement a subscription-based scheme for Facebook and Instagram that would give ad-free access to social media platforms. Users of Facebook and Instagram will soon be able to opt out of seeing advertisements on the social media sites by paying a monthly charge. This week, Meta revealed these modifications, and they will be accessible to users in a few select regions of the world starting in November.

Similar to how Elon Musk set the price for its X platform, Facebook and Instagram users must pay a different monthly subscription fee whether they sign up online and a little more if they do so via an iOS or Android device. The main reason Meta is going the subscription route in Europe is because of the new legislation in the area that require businesses like Meta to stop showing advertisements to their users.

Europe’s Facebook and Instagram Subscription Cost: See What You Pay

Users in Europe can keep using the free versions of Facebook and Instagram if they don’t mind seeing advertisements on their feeds. On the other hand, Meta will charge you EUR 9.99 per month for online use and EUR 12.99 per month for Android/iOS use if you find these platforms’ advertisements annoying.

Meta makes it quite evident why there is a price discrepancy, and it has to do with the practises of Google and Apple’s app stores. According to Meta’s post,  “As is the case for many online subscriptions, the iOS and Android pricing take into account the fees that Apple and Google charge through respective purchasing policies.” 

The European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA), and Switzerland are subject to the new regulations, which prohibit organisations such as Meta from gathering user data for commercial gain. In justification of itself, the company claims that it supports an internet that runs on advertisements and helps small businesses get in front of customers so they may expand.

What is the difference in experience between users who pay for Facebook and Instagram and those who use them for free? For individuals who use its products for free—in this case, Facebook and Instagram in certain countries—Meta guarantees that nothing will change. It’s interesting that users over the age of 18 can only access the subscription plans. Musk has already begun charging for X, which offers various plans for those who wish to skip advertisements in addition to other perks.

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