Facebook and Instagram introduce ad-free subscriptions from 310 crowns

Internet giant Meta, which brings together platforms such as Facebook, Instagram or WhatsApp, is introducing a subscription option for Czech users who want to get rid of advertising and sponsorship contributions. Users pay 310.99 or 320 crowns to remove all advertising and prevent the collection of personal data for personalized commercial messages from Facebook and Instagram. Through the subscription, Meta tries to comply with the European Union, which enforces a tough regulatory policy and controls how large technology companies handle and handle users’ personal data and ad targeting.

Meta introduces a monthly subscription for social networks Facebook and Instagram, where users get rid of advertising and the collection of personal information. The user can continue to use the services even if he does not purchase a subscription. “If you choose to continue using our free products, your experience will remain the same — and that experience will continue to be supported by the tools and settings we’ve created to help people control their ads,” Meta said on its blog.

The subscription is around 245 crowns per month for the website and 320 crowns for apps for iOS and Android. The subscription will apply to all accounts that are connected to Facebook in the User Account Center until March 1, 2024. After that, each additional account should be charged 148 or 198 crowns.

Facebook will prompt you to choose one of the options while logging into your profile. “The laws in your region are changing, so we’re introducing new ways to use your information for advertising,” the social network says with a link to subscribe. “Activate your subscription and enjoy an ad-free Facebook account.”

Furthermore, Facebook states that it starts at 310.99 crowns, including tax. “Then we won’t use your information for advertising.”

“We respect the spirit and purpose of these European regulations and are committed to complying with them,” Meta says, adding that it still offers its products for free to all. But you must accept Meta’s current practice of using, tracking and monitoring the personal data, information and activity of its users, which it then uses to more precisely target advertising for its advertisers.

According to the press statement of the technology company Meta, this is primarily a response to the European regulator, which banned the American Internet company Meta Platforms from using personal data for targeted advertising in all EU and European Economic Area (EEA) countries. The European Personal Data Protection Board (EDPB) informed about this in a press release earlier.

The ban on personalized advertising was first imposed by Norway on Meta, which operates, among other platforms, Facebook and Instagram. It is not a member of the EU, but ranks among the EEA countries, which, in addition to the EU states and Norway, include Iceland and Liechtenstein. The decision by the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) orders the Irish Data Protection Authority (DPC) to impose a permanent ban on the company from using this so-called behavioral advertising within two weeks. The European headquarters of Meta is located in Ireland.

Banning such advertising that targets users by collecting their personal data is a complication for Meta. The company has been trying to limit this practice for a long time. “On October 27, the EDPB adopted an urgent binding decision … to prohibit the processing of personal data for behavioral advertising on the legal basis of contract and legitimate interest throughout the European Economic Area,” the authority said.

Meta referred to its earlier statement that it will provide users in the EU and EEA with the option to opt-in to ad targeting and will offer an ad-free subscription model in November to meet regulatory requirements. “EDPB members have known about this plan for several weeks and we have already fully cooperated with them to reach a satisfactory outcome for all parties,” a company spokesperson said in late October. “This development unjustifiably ignores this careful and thorough regulatory process.”