Would you pay to use Facebook or Instagram without seeing advertising? Meta, which owns the two social networks, is reportedly considering offering this alternative to European users, according to The New York Times. The option would be a way to defend itself from the supervision of the European Union, which has been tightening the siege against the company’s data collection and privacy practices.
The information is from three people who know the company’s confidential plans. They spoke to the Times on condition of anonymity.
Facebook and Instagram subscribers wouldn’t see ads in their apps. For now, it’s not known how much that would cost, nor when the option would be available.
European Union vs. Target
The paid, no-ad option would be a way to fend off EU scrutiny. The three people interviewed for the report say it could “alleviate” concerns from authorities, even if few people sign it.
Facebook and Instagram advertisements are targeted based on data collected from users.
Currently, Meta already offers, for those who live in one of the countries of the European Union, the option to opt out of targeted ads.
The company would have plans to go further and disable this type of advertising by default — the user could still turn on targeting, according to their preferences.
In the block, Instagram also gained an option to display Reels and Stories in chronological order. Currently, the platform has algorithms that direct the publications that may be more interesting for each user.
Meta has also made the decision not to launch Threads in Europe for the time being. According to Adam Mosseri, CEO of Instagram, this is due to “complexities in complying with some laws that will come into effect next year.”
While it doesn’t name the oxen, this seems like a reference to the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in Portuguese. The legislation may prohibit Threads from reusing Instagram data, such as name and location.