Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, is reportedly considering offering ad-free versions of its social media platforms in Europe, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. This move comes in response to new EU privacy regulations that require Meta to get users’ consent before showing them targeted ads. 

Asking users for their consent could hurt the company’s bottom line since most users are unlikely to willingly share their data. This could reduce Meta’s advertising revenue, which is its primary source of income.

To tackle this, Meta is considering charging users a monthly fee to remove ads from their social media feeds. Under the proposed plan, users in Europe would need to pay a monthly fee to remove ads from their Instagram and Facebook. This would be the first time that Meta will be charging users for access to its core services.

The ad-free subscription plan is expected to cost around EUR 13 per month on mobile devices and EUR 10 per month on web browsers. Users would also need to pay an additional EUR 6 for each additional account.

It is unclear when the ad-free subscription plan would be launched in Europe, and if it would be offered in other regions in the future. However, Meta is said to be in discussions with privacy watchdogs in Belgium and Ireland about the plan. The company has reportedly named it “subscription no ads,” or SNA, and it might start rolling out in the coming months.

Meta’s current business model relies on targeted advertising, which is based on user data. However, the new privacy regulations in the EU will make it more difficult for companies to collect and use user data for advertising purposes.

The ad-free subscription plan is one way that Meta could continue to generate revenue from its social media platforms in Europe, while also complying with the new privacy regulations.

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