Business Post Contributor
By Bliss Okperan
The parent company of Facebook and Instagram, Meta, has announced the introduction of subscription fees for its listed platforms.
The company, in a statement, said that the pricing would range from €9.99/month (about N8,300) on the web or €12.99/month (about N10,800) on iOS and Android.
However, this would start with users in Europe from March 1, 2024.
“People in these countries will be able to subscribe for a fee to use our products without ads. Depending on where you purchase it will cost €9.99/month on the web or €12.99/month on iOS and Android,” a statement obtained by Business Post disclosed.
According to the statement, “The option for people to purchase a subscription for no ads balances the requirements of European regulators while giving users choice and allowing Meta to continue serving all people in the EU, EEA and Switzerland.
“In its ruling, the CJEU expressly recognised that a subscription model, like the one we are announcing, is a valid form of consent for an ads funded service.”
The firm explained that this would give people access to personalized products and services regardless of their economic status.
“It also allows small businesses to reach potential customers, grow their business and create new markets, driving growth in the European economy,” the statement added.
The company added that the subscription will apply to all linked Facebook and Instagram accounts in a user’s Accounts Center, regardless of where it is purchased.
It was noted that the IOS and Android pricing would take into account the fees that Apple and Google charge through respective purchasing policies.
Meta disclosed that from March 1, 2024, it would add a fee of €6/month (N4,900) on the web and €8/month (N6,600) on iOS and Android for each additional account listed in a user’s Account Center.
However, it emphasised that, “If you choose to continue to use our products for free, your experience will stay the same – and that experience will continue to be supported by the tools and settings that we have created to empower people to control their ads experience.”
“These include Ad Preferences, which offers a range of controls that enable you to influence the ads you see as well as the data used to inform these ads, including activity information from ad partners. We also have tools in our product that explain Why am I seeing this ad? as well as how people can manage their ad experience,” it added.
