Meta slashes prices for ad-free Facebook and Instagram in EU, offers less personalized ads

Meta (NASDAQ:META) is reducing the price of subscriptions for no ads on Facebook and Instagram by 40% in the EU and is also letting customers in the region access the social media platforms with the option of seeing less personalized ads in an effort to comply with regulations, the company said in its blogpost Tuesday.

“The changes we’re announcing today meet EU regulator demands and go beyond what’s required by EU law. And we remain steadfast in our view that personalized ads are the best experience for people and businesses—and because people understand that value, we expect that most people will choose our personalized ads service even with these expanded options,” Meta said in the post.

The less personalized ads option uses less data and will only show ads based only on context—what a person sees in a particular session on Facebook and Instagram—and a minimal set of datapoints, including a person’s age, location, gender, and how a person engages with ads, the company said.

Meta said the choice to see less personalized ads would give users additional control over their data and ad experience, but it may result in ads that are less relevant to their interests, and people may see ads that they don’t find as interesting.

“Although we are being put in a position where we have to offer an ads experience that delivers less value for people and businesses, we will also continue to deliver great personalized experiences that are the best outcome for people and businesses in Europe,” Meta added.

The company said subscription prices for Facebook and Instagram in the EU with no ads will be reduced to €5.99 a month from €9.99 on the web, or to €7.99 per month on iOS and Android, down from €12.99. Each additional FB or IG account will be charged at €4/month on the web and €5/month on iOS and Android.