Meta says users will now pay to use Facebook and Instagram, but why and where?

You might have heard that Meta, the owners of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp is set to roll out a subscription-based service for its users. That simply means users of the affected platforms; Facebook and Instagram would now have to pay a fee to use the platforms which were available for free until now.

Many people are asking questions as they seek to understand the scope of this new policy and when it will be rolled out. We have the details all here for you.

Will everyone have to pay Meta to use Facebook and Instagram?

Everyone is already paying Meta to use the apps that are publicly known to be available for free. What everyone does not do is to pay directly. Meta runs adverts on nearly all its platforms except WhatsApp. While people do not pay directly, Meta makes money from users through advertising. Meta sells user information to advertisers who then target users with personalized adverts. That is how Meta makes money from your free usage of the platform.

However, with the new policy, some users of Facebook and Instagram will pay a fee every month to use the platforms. These users will not see adverts on the platforms. This is similar to what Elon Musk introduced at X, previously, Twitter after he took over the platform in a $44 billion deal in 2022.

However, unlike Twitter Blue, Facebook and Instagram paid subscribers will not see adverts. And unlike the Elon Musk-owned platform which rolled it out voluntarily as part of ways to raise revenue, Meta per its statement is forced to do so in order to meet regulatory compliance. Also, Facebook and Instagram subscriptions are not global and will not be forced on people but for specific areas and those who would want to use the platform without seeing adverts.

Who will this affect and why?

Facebook and Instagram subscriptions will affect citizens of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland. That means persons living within these areas who are currently users or would sign up for Facebook and Instagram accounts in the future would be affected by the subscription fee.

Notably, the subscriptions are not compulsory, meaning people within the applied areas may decide to use the paid services or free services. The idea of the subscription is to enable Meta to maintain its business in the area while complying with policy regulations. That makes the subscriptions flexible, allowing those who may not be able to afford or do not bother seeing adverts flash before them while they use the platform to continue using Facebook and Instagram for free.

The reason for Meta rolling out the subscription is to comply with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The GDPR is a set of regulations by the EU to regulate information privacy in the European Union and the EEA. It came into effect in May 2018 and various tech companies have been forced to restructure their data gathering and usage policies in the region since then. Some of the world’s biggest companies including Meta, Amazon, Google and TikTok have suffered fines since the implementation of GDPR in 2018. Meta, for instance, ranks multiple times in the top five of heavy fines while also appearing seven times in the top 20 heavy fines since the implementation of GDPR in 2018.

Based on the above, it is understandable why Meta has to roll out this subscription-based service in the area to protect its interest.

A statement by Meta on the impending rollout said, it “will offer people in the EU, EEA and Switzerland the choice to pay a monthly subscription to use Facebook and Instagram without any ads. They can alternatively continue to use these services for free while seeing ads that are relevant to them.”

How much will users pay and what does it cover?

Users of Facebook and Instagram in the affected regions will pay €9.99 per month on the web or €12.99 per month on iOS and Android according to Meta. The higher fee for iOS and Android is due to Apple and Google payment processing policies.

When a user pays, the amount covers all the accounts listed in the user’s Account Center. That will be until March 1, 2024. After that date, a subscriber would pay €6 per month for each additional account listed under Account Center. What that means is that from the onset of the subscription until March 1, 2024, a single subscription would cover all your Meta-owned accounts such as Facebook and Instagram that you have linked together. But after the stated date, you will pay €6 per month for each additional linked account.

Here, you can read the full statement from Meta about the Facebook and Instagram subscriptions.