Accordingly, for about a year now, users of social networking platforms in Europe have had the option to pay for ad-free services. However, this has not eased the European Union's (EU) concerns about security issues.
On November 12, the social media giant Meta announced that Facebook and Instagram users who do not pay a monthly subscription fee will have the option to see fewer targeted ads. But if users in Europe choose this option, they will still have to see some non-skippable ads that are several seconds long.
If free users want to see less personalized ads, Meta will only show ads based on context and some basic data like the user's age, location, gender, and how they interact with the ad.
Meta also indirectly criticized the EU in its announcement. Meta said that the company is implementing these important changes to meet the requirements of EU regulators, even though the feedback it received went beyond what is required by law.
According to Meta, research shows that users and businesses prefer to see targeted ads that support jobs and economic growth, as well as provide people with access to free online services.
In addition to the above issues, Meta also said it is preparing to reduce prices by 40% for services using the ad-free platform.
The European Commission (EC) criticized Meta for forcing users to choose between a monthly ad-free version and a free version with personalized ads as unfair.
There are ongoing investigations into Meta and other tech giants as a result of the EU's Digital Single Markets Act - which was introduced to limit companies from exploiting their market positions. Meta introduced a subscription model for its Facebook and Instagram platforms in Europe in part as a result of the law.
