Meta to offer ad-free Facebook, Instagram subscriptions in Europe

The subscription services will be offered to anyone in the European Union, European Economic Area and Switzerland.

Meta Platforms Inc. will offer users in Europe ad-free access to Facebook and Instagram for a subscription fee.

Starting in November, users will be able to subscribe to the social media sites for €9.99 ($10.574) per month on the web or €12.99 per month via Apple Inc.’s and Android’s mobile operating systems, the company said in a statement on Monday. The subscription services will be offered to anyone in the European Union, European Economic Area and Switzerland.

The subscriptions are a reaction to increasing regulations around how user data is collected and used in Europe. In a blog post explaining the decision, the company cited an EU Court of Justice decision in July that said companies should consider offering an alternative service “if necessary for an appropriate fee.”

Meta will continue offering ad-supported services in these markets without an additional charge.