You can now pay real, actual money to use Instagram and Facebook ad-free in Europe

Whether you like it or not, advertisements keep the internet running. Although you can block advertisements from appearing online, those ads keep most of the internet free, which allows everyone of every economic status to access major services, including social media. However, the idea that some people would prefer to pay money for an ad-free experience has gained traction recently. The EU has even decided to regulate it by forcing massive companies to offer ad-free experiences to continue operating in the territory.

Today, Meta has done its duty to comply with this new law. Starting now, EU residents can opt to pay a monthly recurring fee to experience two of Meta’s most popular products without ads: ad-free Instagram and ad-free Facebook.

It’s important to note that this does not affect the usability, features, or services offered to non-paying users on Insta or FB. Everything stays the same for them. But those who can pay and choose to do so will be able to experience those platforms without any ads at all.

Ad-free Instagram and Facebook: What do you get, and how much does it cost?

First, the great news: paying for this subscription not only means you won’t see ads on these platforms, but you won’t be tracked for ads, either. If you’re interested in making your online life more private, this is a terrific option for you.

The next thing you need to know is that your subscription fee applies to both Instagram and Facebook. There is no way to only sign up for ad-free Instagram and not ad-free Facebook, for example.

Furthermore, for the rest of the year, your subscription covers all your profiles in the Accounts Center. So, if you have multiple Insta profiles, they will all be ad-free, assuming you’ve collected them all under a single primary account. Unfortunately, this “all you can eat” coverage won’t last. Starting March 1, 2024, any additional accounts you have in your Accounts Center will require an upcharge.

Speaking of charges, there are two different subscription fees here that are determined by where you sign up. If you sign up on the web, you’ll pay €9.99 (~$10.61) each month for the ad-free experience. If you sign up through Android or iOS apps, you’ll need to pay €12.99 (~$13.80) each month. These price differences are because of the additional fees levied by Google and Apple on their respective mobile platforms. You’ll have an ad-free experience across all apps/platforms regardless of how you choose to sign up/how much you pay.

The previously mentioned upcharge for new accounts will be €6/month through the web and €8/month through iOS and Android. This fee will apply to each new account, so be careful with making new profiles.

You might be wondering if/when this option will come to the United States and other areas of the world. The answer is “maybe” — if the US or other areas enact similar laws as the EU has recently. Until then, though, this is going to be an EU-exclusive.