Meta may introduce the option of an ad-free Facebook subscription as it struggles to comply with increasingly stringent European privacy requirements, says a new report.
A similar paid subscription option may also be offered to Instagram users …
Meta’s struggle with European privacy laws
Facebook parent company Meta has been facing growing challenges in operating an ad-funded service – most notably, one which uses a great deal of personal data to serve lucrative personalized ads – within the stringent privacy requirements applying to European Union citizens.
Back in May, Meta was fined a record $1.3B for exposing European citizens to the much looser rules that apply to American users.
Just last month, it was forced to let European users choose a chronological feed, rather than the default algorithmic feed designed to keep people glued to the app for longer periods of time.
Ad-free Facebook subscription rumored
Faced with European users spending less time in the app, and being served less-profitable generic ads, the New York Times reports that it is considering offering a paid subscription option. This would be ad-free.
Meta is considering paid versions of Facebook and Instagram that would have no advertising for users in the European Union, three people with knowledge of the company’s plans said, a response to regulatory scrutiny and a sign that how people experience technology in the United States and Europe may diverge because of government policy.
Those who pay for Facebook and Instagram subscriptions would not see ads in the apps, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the plans are confidential. That may help Meta fend off privacy concerns and other scrutiny from E.U. regulators by giving users an alternative to the company’s ad-based services, which rely on analyzing people’s data, the people said.
It remains to be seen whether the plan is implemented, and whether the company limits it to European users, or makes it more generally available.
Russian disinformation growing
A BBC News report says that the problem of Russian disinformation on western social media platforms is worsening, despite efforts to fight it.
An EU report says that the volume of fake posts is greatest on Meta, while it has increased most significantly on X.
The study, published on Wednesday, looks at attempts to deal with Kremlin-backed disinformation and suggests the rise has been “driven in particular by the dismantling of Twitter’s safety standards”.
“In absolute numbers, pro-Kremlin accounts continue to reach the largest audiences on Meta’s platforms. Meanwhile, the audience size for Kremlin-backed accounts more than tripled on Telegram,” the report found […]
The report also refers to a tweet from 9 April in which Elon Musk confirmed his platform would no longer “limit” Kremlin-run accounts.
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