Facebook is now showing subscribe or continue with ads prompts to EU users

If you are accessing Facebook from the European Union, Switzerland or the European Economic Area, you may see a prompt that asks you to make a choice. Want to subscribe or continue using our Products for free with ads is what uses from these regions may see when they access the site.

Revealed in September 2023 for the first time, it is an attempt by Meta to appease EU regulators.

The prompt is displayed automatically to users and there is no option to use Facebook until a choice has been made. The choice, in this case, is to either pay a monthly subscription free to use Facebook and Instagram without ads, or to continue using the two services for free but with ads.

Meta writes: "Laws are changing in your region, so we're introducing a new choice about how we use your info for ads. You'll learn more about what each option means for you before you confirm your choice. Your choice will apply to the accounts in this Account Center".

The Account Center page can be opened, but it is one of the few pages on Facebook that works while the prompt is open.

The two choices are:

• Subscribe to use without ads -- Subscribe to use your Facebook and Instagram accounts without ads, starting at €9.99 per month (inclusive of applicable taxes). Your info won't be used for ads.
• Use for free with ads -- Discover products and brands through personalized ads, while using your Facebook and Instagram accounts for free. Your info will be used for ads.

Meta highlights the current experience and provides a link to compare the choices and how they may affect the experience on Facebook and Instagram. The link points to a support article on the Facebook website.

There, Meta highlights the following differences between the two options. Free with ads users will continue to see ads on the platforms. They won't pay for the service and information of users will be used for ads.

Paying subscribers won't see ads in the products. They pay a monthly subscription fee and their information is not used for ads.

The subscription fee depends on the platform. All users who plan to subscribe should do so in a web browser and not in apps on mobile devices. Meta charges extra in this case to take into account the fees that Google's and Apple's platforms charge.

Meta displays more information once users make a choice. Those who select the free route will see the following screen.

Users agree to let Meta use information from accounts for ads and to give Meta the right to use cookies on its products to personalize ads and measure their performance.

Meta users who select the subscribe option see the following screen.

There, users are informed that the price of 9.99 EUR per month is valid through March 1. After the day, users will have to pay 9.99 per month for a single account and 6 EUR extra for any additional account. In other words, if you have one Facebook and one Instagram account, you pay 15.99 EUR after March 1, 2024.

Facebook users may change the choice they have made at any time in the Ad Preferences.

A click or tap on the current status, e.g., free with ads, displays a prompt to switch to the other product.

Meta notes that users may do so at any time.

Closing Words

Facebook users from the aforementioned regions have a new choice, which is good. Whether it is reasonable to pay roughly 120 EUR per year to Meta for an ad-free experience is up to each individual user.

Now You: would you pay Meta money to use Instagram and Facebook ad-free?

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