Meta implemented a new policy: Now you will have to pay money to use Facebook & Instagram
Meta New Policy: Meta had to change its policy due to a data protection dispute in Europe. Now the company can charge subscription fees from the user to provide ad-free service.
Both Facebook and Instagram have crores of users globally. The two largest social media sites in the globe have been free to use so far to crores of users, but now apparently you will not be able to use both these sites free of cost much longer. You may have to pay to use both sites now. Yes, social media giant Meta now intends to have a new subscription model in the UK so that users have social media without advertisements (Ad-Free) in the feed.
Meta made the decision not suddenly but because there was a court case involved. Truly in the UK, Meta had to promise not to serve targeted adverts to a user. The issue had reached the High Court in London but was resolved by the company not to go to court.
The initiative began in 2022 when human rights campaigner Tanya O'Carrell launched a $1.5 trillion claim against Meta. Meta had been accused of harvesting her personal data without authorization and showing targeted adverts in violation of UK data protection regulations.
The case was not hers alone but a major change, in her opinion. The choice is important to everyone who has an interest in online adverts, she said. The UK Data Protection Authority supported Tanya in the case and made the case serious.
Meta had already launched an ad-free subscription service in the European Union (EU) in 2023. The company took this step to comply with rules like GDPR and Digital Markets Act (DMA).
Meta reduced its subscription prices by up to 40% last year. In Europe, the membership fee for web users was reduced from €9.99 to €5.99 per month and from €12.99 to €7.99 per month on iOS and Android. Now it will be interesting to see what will be its price in the UK and whether this model can be implemented in India as well?
Currently, Facebook and Instagram are free to use in India, but if this model succeeds, then Meta may implement it in other countries as well. If this happens, then users will have to decide whether they prefer to pay to not see ads or opt for a free service with ads.
