Meta reportedly mulling ad-free Facebook and Instagram subscriptions for EU

Following the accelerating trend to charge users for ad-free versions of digital services, Meta is reportedly preparing to charge users in the European Union a US$14 a month fee if they do not agree to allow the tech giant to use their data to deliver targeted advertising.

In plans first reported by the Wall Street Journal, Meta also aims to charge US$17 a month for the use of Facebook and Instagram as a bundle for use on computers.

The move is seen as a response to demands by EU regulators who have been seeking to curb the use of personal data by big tech for profit.

A Luxembourg court has given Meta a deadline of the end of November to comply with a ruling on the use of personal data to target advertising to users without their consent.

It remains an open question whether Meta’s plans for delivering targeted advertising to those who consent, while others agree to pay a fee, will satisfy regulators.

News of Meta’s plans follows reports that TikTok has begun testing an ad-free subscription tier in one English-speaking market outside the US, while X (formerly Twitter) owner Elon Musk has said he is mulling a plan to charge all users of the app a monthly fee to combat the use of the platform by bots.