Meta Consider Paid Versions Of Facebook And Instagram Without Advertising In The European Union

Meta consider Instagram without ads for the European Union by subscribing. (photo: dock. Pixabay)

JAKARTA - Meta Platforms Inc., is considering paid versions of Facebook and Instagram without ads for users living in the European Union (EU) in response to scrutiny from regulators, the New York Times reported on Friday, September 1.

Those paying for subscriptions will not see ads, while Meta will also continue to offer free versions of the apps with ads in the European Union, the report cites three people with knowledge of the plan.

The report added that the move could help Meta address privacy concerns and other surveillance from the European Union as it would provide alternatives to this company's ad-based service, which relies on user data analysis.

Meta has not yet responded to requests for comment from several media.

The social media giant has been in the spotlight of EU antitrust regulators and lost the fight in July against a 2019 German order banning it from collecting user data without permission.

"It is not clear how much the paid version of the application costs," said the NYT report.