Sources say that Meta’s Instagram and Facebook will start charging users in the EU for an ad-free service.

According to two sources, META Platforms is considering implementing subscription options without advertisements for European users of Instagram and Facebook. This potential plan was discussed on Tuesday.

One of the sources stated that multiple pricing options were considered, but ultimately the most viable option is the 10 euro ($10.49) per month plan. The other source mentioned that this plan will be put into effect within the next few months.

The proposal is Meta’s effort to adhere to European Union laws that could potentially limit its capability to customize advertisements for users without their consent, which could negatively impact its primary source of income.

Providing the option of either a free plan with ads or a paid subscription could result in users choosing the free plan, aiding Meta in meeting regulations without impacting its advertising revenue.

According to a second source, the cost of a single account on mobile devices would increase to around 13 euros, as Meta would take into account the commissions imposed by Apple and Google’s app stores.

Compared to other streaming services, Netflix offers a basic subscription for 7.99 euros, while YouTube Premium from Alphabet costs approximately 12 euros and Spotify’s Premium service is priced at around 11 euros.

Meta was fined 

Earlier this year, Ireland’s Data Privacy Commissioner fined a company 390 million euros and informed them that they are not allowed to utilize the “contract” as a legal justification for sending users advertisements based on their online behavior.

permission before using their data

The social media company announced its intention to obtain consent from EU users before utilizing their data. consent 

Prior to permitting businesses to tailor advertisements for the purpose of meeting changing regulatory demands in the area.

A representative from Meta expressed that the company supports the concept of “free services with personalized advertisements,” but is considering ways to comply with changing regulatory demands.

Neither Meta, the Data Protection Commission of Ireland, nor the European Commission provided a comment. Reuters