(Reuters) – Meta Platforms announced on Monday that it will introduce a subscription plan for users in Europe, allowing them to use Facebook and Instagram without advertisements in order to comply with European Union regulations.
The monthly subscription plans will be priced at 9.99 euros ($10.58) for web users, while iOS and Android users will have to pay 12.99 euros per month.
Meta’s ability to personalize ads for users without their consent and its primary revenue source is being threatened by the EU regulations.
To comply with the regulations without impacting its ad business, Meta will provide users with a choice between a free, ad-supported plan and a paid subscription that is free from ads.
Earlier this year, Meta was fined 390 million euros by Ireland’s Data Privacy Commissioner and was informed that it is prohibited from using the “contract” as the legal basis for sending users ads based on their online activity.
($1 = 0.9446 euros)
(Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)
