Meta officially announced its ad-free tier to Facebook and Instagram users in the EU, EAA, and Switzerland area starting in November. This is part of Meta’s compliance with European regulations, where the paid tiers aim to give better privacy protection to its users.

Meta is imposing a hefty price tag for an ad-free experience on Facebook and Instagram, where they have to pay 9.99 Euros/month(~Php 610) on the web and 12.99 Euros/month (~Php 800) on Android and iOS. If that’s not pricey enough, Meta will charge an additional 6 Euros/month for web and 8 Euros/month for mobile for every additional account listed on the user’s account center starting March 1, 2024. Aside from the expensive prices, Meta adds that only people aged 18 and above can avail of the ad-free tier on Facebook and Instagram.

Meta is not the only one offering a paid ad-free tier: X (aka Twitter) is starting to charge new users in the Philippines and New Zealand for full access. Unlike Meta’s ad-free tiers, X’s “not a bot” subscription is more palatable with an annual fee of Php 42.51 in the Philippines.

Meta explained in their press release that the “option for people to purchase a subscription for no ads balances the requirements of European regulators while giving users choice and allowing Meta to continue serving all people in the EU, EEA, and Switzerland.” However, we’re not sure about the initial pricing of these ad-free tiers, as they are just as expensive as a Netflix subscription in Europe. For reference, a monthly subscription to Netflix in France will cost you $14.81 or around 14 Euros.

With those expensive subscription fees, privacy campaigners in Europe are expected to hold a legal battle against Meta. “The question is, whether the fee because of user behavior is considered as a free choice,” Bruegel think tank affiliate fellow Christophe Carugati explained, adding that he expects a small number of users opting for the paid version given the prices.