Meta has said that it is making a 40% cut to fees for ad-free services in Europe this month, from its current price. Attracting more subscribers with a paid version of its service can open up the company to exponentially more users than the current reliance on ads.
Meta Slashes Subscription Prices in Europe by 40%
In addition to the price cut, Meta has unveiled plans to utilize far less information on its users for advertising. Ads will be displayed to non-subscribers anyway but they are less likely to be tailored to your individual preferences and that appeases privacy regulators in Europe.
The move is part of Meta’s continuous efforts fighting back the pressure from the EU regulators over data privacy and user sovereignty. This price reduction exceeds the minimal thresholds set in EU legislation, which means that Meta is willing to overcome the regulatory standards in the European region.
For users who choose to remain with the basic, freely available version of Meta’s services it means viewing fewer targeted ads. Though they will still be ads, these will not be as personalized, and thereby may not be as effective.
Meta has affirmed it would implement the changes in the said areas following the trends experienced by the California -based digital titans to reconsider their stance on privacy and user data in the European Union market.
Meta Reduces Subscription Prices for Ad-Free Facebook and Instagram in Europe
Facebook parent Meta has unveiled that it is slashing the cost of its ad-free Facebook and Instagram services in Europe. From this week, a prime or ad-free version is available for €5.99 per month on the web and €7.99 per month for iOS and android, initially €9.99 and €12.99 respectively. This is better understood as part of continuous changes Meta has been making to adapt to changes in the regulatory environment in Europe.
In addition to the basic fee, Meta will be charging an additional 4E/beyond the subscription fee for each Facebook or Instagram account on the web and 5E beyond the subscription fee per extra account for iOS and Android. It is meant to be versatile for the users that interact across the different platforms with a single account and remove the picture with the logo of the agency while making the update of pictures ad free.
In fact for the users who have already signed up for the service no additional action is required to take by the customers in order to avail the new pricing. Meta has also assured marketers that the discount adjustment will be made to accounts so that the transition to the new fees is smooth.
In addition to the change of prices, Meta has decided to launch something new which will give the EU users greater option in terms of ads they receive in Facebook and Instagram. They will be prompted to choose their ad categories of interest, thus enabling the subscriber to enjoy more flexibility as far as advertising is concerned.
Nevertheless, the company still allows users to experience these platforms for free but with ads after making the following price adjustments. The new subscription service offering is free of ads or the user can continue to use Paykel as they have done before with ads.
Meta to Offer Less Personalized Ads for Free Users in the EU
Meta has introduced a new feature to the Europeans in compliance with the signals of the regulations – people will be able to use Facebook and Instagram for free with advertisements. New option will enable consumers select ‘less personalised’ advertisements which therefore implies that the advertisements to be delivered are in some form derived from far fewer user details. This change is planned to solve the issue of privacy and give users more control with the advertising experience.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and other social platforms, took what is in compliance with the EU rules and regulation on user’s data use and consent where the use of users’ data has been made minimal in advertising. This way, the users can continue to use the social sites as usual without having to subscribe to an ad-free version that deletes most of their consumer data anyway.
To the users who choose the option of less personified advertisements, the disadvantage will be in the clip advertising. ADs will continue to be displayed, albeit not powered by the precise user data that feeds into the Facebook and Instagram ad targeting algorithms.
This new option was chosen by Meta as part of the ongoing push and pull between user privacy and the company’s economic model. Thus, providing more control to Meta’s users, the company meets the requirements of the regulation while making the services available to the maximum number of people in the region.
This new option, one hopes, will be offered together with the new ad-free service provision to the users across the European Union hence increasing the flexibility of users when interacting with Meta’s applications. Regardless of users choosing less intrusive ads or going for a completely ads less lifestyle, they will have more options to choose from.
