It is evidently an era of price increases, and we are not just referring to products and materials (shopping at the supermarket has become an unpredictable experience).
Even streaming platforms, as we wrote in an article, have adjusted (or will soon adjust) their tariff plans upwards in recent months.
In all of this, what we had presented to you only as a hypothesis in recent weeks seems to be materializing. According to the Wall Street Journal, Meta is considering introducing paid plans for customers who want to access Facebook and Instagram without advertising. And TikTok is also studying a similar move. What do we know about the paid Instagram and Facebook hypothesis?
Paid Facebook and Instagram without ads?
The Wall Street Journal reported the news in an article published on Tuesday 3 October.
The news of paid Instagram and Facebook would only concern Europe. According to the New York newspaper, Meta is developing an advertising-free plan for EU users which, for both Instagram and Facebook, would be paid. AND the monthly cost would reach around 13 euros, that is, 14 dollars. Naturally, the free version of both social networks would remain, with the insertion of personalized advertisements.
More precisely, Meta would charge 10 euros per month for each account of the two social networks on computers, and a further 6 euros for each additional account connected. The figure would rise to 13 euros for those who want versions of Instagram and Facebook without advertising on smartphones.
Zuckerberg’s “old” idea
The hypothesis of paid Instagram and Facebook had already appeared in 2018: Mark Zuckerberg mentioned it in front of Congress. On that occasion, the company’s number one added that any paid plans will not compromise the fact that there will always be a free version of both platforms.
In the last few hours a Meta spokesperson has added something (but not too much) in this regard. Who said: “Meta believes in the value of free services supported by personalized ads. However, we continue to evaluate options that ensure compliance with evolving regulatory requirements. We have no further information to share at this time.”
Times
As we wrote, similar news had already surfaced in recent weeks, and was reported by the New York Times. However, the figures were not known.
Now, according to rumors from the Wall Street Journal we not only know the hypothetical prices of the paid tariff plans. But we also know that Meta would have already turned to the European regulatory authoritiesand that on our continent the plans without advertising should be operational in the next few months.
Meta and the GDPR
The plan without advertising would be a helping hand to Europe, and above all to its regulations: GDPR and Digital Services Act.
We remember that At the beginning of 2023, Meta was fined 390 million euros by the Irish Data Protection Commission for a violation of the GDPR linked to personalized advertising for users.
The presence of profiles without personalized advertising should therefore mean a further advantage for users who join paid plans, who would not be involved in the collection of personal data through profiling.
Elon Musk’s announcement
A few weeks ago Elon Musk announced the possibility that his X (the former Twitter) will become completely paid.
Musk said this during a livestream conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The owner of X would do this to counter the “vast armies of bots” on his platform. But in this case there was no mention of possible costs.
Also a paid plan for TikTok?
Not only Instagram and Facebook could soon be paid. According to TechCrunch, TikTok is also thinking of moving in this direction.
On the contrary, we would already be in a testing phase, which however would only involve a small number of US users. Who are apparently trying to use TikTok without advertising at a cost of $4.99 per month.
With one limitation: the subscription would only inhibit advertising offered directly by the social network, but not marketing campaigns carried out by influencers.