Meta has officially introduced a subscription option for some of its social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, for users in the European region. This subscription feature is aimed at meeting the demands of European users who wish to have more control over their data.

The subscription option for Facebook and Instagram is available to users in the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA), including countries like Germany and France, as well as Switzerland. With the subscription, Meta claims that they will not use customer data for advertising purposes.

"To comply with European regulations, we are introducing new subscription options in the EU, EEA, and Switzerland. In November, we will offer people using Facebook or Instagram in these regions the choice of using the services for free with ads or subscribing without ads," stated Meta, as quoted from the about.fb website.

There are two subscription options for Facebook and Instagram. First, for the web versions of Facebook and Instagram, it is priced at 9.99 euros (approximately Rp 168,000) per month. Second, for the Android and iOS versions of Facebook and Instagram, the price is set at 12.99 euros (approximately Rp 218,000) per month.

These prices apply to each account, including linked Facebook and Instagram accounts. This means that if a user has one Facebook account connected to their Instagram account, the price remains as mentioned above. This condition is applicable until March 1, 2024. After this deadline, each linked account will incur an additional charge of 6 euros (approximately Rp 101,000) per month on the web or 8 euros (approximately Rp 134,000) on Android and iOS.

Despite the introduction of these paid options, free versions of Facebook and Instagram will still be available for users in the European Union, EEA, and Switzerland. Therefore, users can choose to use the paid version of FB and IG without ads or the free version with advertisements.

Compliance with European privacy rules is the driving force behind these paid options for Facebook and Instagram by Meta. European regulators have been concerned about the privacy practices of Meta, which oversees various applications, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. Privacy issues are related to advertising, as Meta, like other free platforms, uses user data to deliver personalized ads. The collection of personal data without user consent has been a frequent point of contention for European regulators.

Earlier in June, European regulators prohibited Meta from merging user data collected by the company from Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, as well as from websites and applications collaborating with the Meta platform, without user consent. Meta's business focus has primarily been on offering free social media services to users and selling ads to companies looking to reach their social media audience. By introducing paid versions of social media, Meta can, at least in part, provide products designed to comply with data privacy regulations and other policies in Europe.