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Facebook and Instagram follow X’s path on ad-free subscription: All the details

Facebook and Instagram have rolled out a new subscription service in Europe, allowing users to bid farewell to those pesky ads interrupting their scrolling experience. This game-changing development comes from Meta, the parent company of these popular social platforms.

For those in the European Union, European Economic Area, and Switzerland, this new subscription offering marks a significant shift. Imagine browsing through your favorite social feeds without constant ad interruptions. It’s an option that hasn’t been available before and promises a breath of fresh air for users who value an ad-free experience.

Facebook and Instagram’s paid ad-free subscription aims to give users more control and privacy in their online interactions, particularly in response to concerns raised by European Union regulators. Here’s a breakdown of the key details regarding these subscription plans:

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Key aspects of the Facebook and Instagram Ad-Free Subscription

Eligibility

The ad-free service is exclusively available to users in the EU, EEA, and Switzerland. It’s an optional subscription that empowers users to opt out of seeing ads on Facebook and Instagram.

Cost

Users accessing the service via the web will pay €9.99 per month, while those on iOS and Android will be charged €12.99 monthly.

What is covered?

Upon subscription, all associated Facebook and Instagram accounts under a user’s “Accounts Center” will become ad-free, offering a seamless ad-free experience across linked accounts.

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Additional account charges

Starting from March 1, 2024, users will incur additional fees for each extra account linked in their “Accounts Center.” These will amount to €6 per month per additional account on the web and €8 per month per additional account on iOS and Android.

User criteria

The subscription is accessible to users aged 18 and above within the specified European regions.

Privacy & user experience

One of the standout features of this ad-free subscription is the assurance that user data won’t be utilized for ad targeting while enjoying an ad-free experience. This ensures a more personalized, ad-free interaction without user activities being used for ad personalization.

Existing features & choices

For users opting to stick with the free, ad-supported versions of Facebook and Instagram, the existing tools and features for managing ad preferences will remain available. Users can still influence the ads they see and control the data used for ad targeting.

Meeting Regulations and User Preferences

This move by Meta reflects an effort to comply with evolving European regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA). By introducing this ad-free subscription, Meta aims to meet regulatory demands while catering to user preferences and maintaining a beneficial business advertising landscape.

In summary, Facebook and Instagram’s paid ad-free subscription brings the choice to eliminate ads for a monthly fee to users in the EU, EEA, and Switzerland. The varying costs and additional fees for linked accounts starting in 2024 ensure enhanced privacy while catering to users who prefer the ad-supported experience. This step underlines Meta’s commitment to aligning user choice with evolving regulations while supporting a valuable business advertising ecosystem.

Watching sports at home will never be the same again thanks to Xtadium and the Meta Quest 3

Real-time statistical overlays, which you can turn on or off, keep you on top of the match or competition…

If you watched Meta’s conference the other day, you were probably intrigued by the Meta Quest 3 app that allowed you to watch basketball games and UFC fights in virtual reality from the comfort of your couch.

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For all those discovering Xtadium today, here’s what the Spanish-born app has to offer: developed by YBVR, the app brings you closer than ever to the action with 180-degree virtual reality (VR) images in up to 8K video quality.

Real-time statistical overlays, which you can turn on or off, allow you to stay on top of the match or competition, and you can choose from up to eight different camera angles to get the best shot.

And as a good application designed for the metaverse, you can enjoy an event by yourself or create a private party for your friends to join you.

Xtadium, currently only available in the U.S., will offer live events, on-demand replays and immersive highlights for the ultimate sports experience. The following content will be available at launch:

In 180-degree VR:

Three 45-minute VOD versions of NASCAR Cup Series races
Two UFC Fight Pass VOD events, LFA 141 and LFA 144
Live Matches and VOD of the All American Cup – Team Tennis Tournament
A collection of full VOD fight cards and highlights from ONE Championship
Euroleague Basketball archive images

In 2D:

Live content on beIN SPORTS XTRA channel
Some waves of the World Surf League

Meta explains that it expects Xtadium to receive more sports content in the coming months, so it can offer it with its virtual reality glasses.

Fans will also be able to get a ticket to live pay-per-view events or access subscription-only content. In this way, it will be like watching a game in the front row… but without standing in line.

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The new AI from Meta has been trained with your Instagram and Facebook posts

Meta AI, Meta’s new AI-powered virtual assistant, used public posts from Facebook and Instagram users to train.

Artificial intelligences are advancing at an overwhelming pace. They have more functions, can do more things, and to a certain extent, one could say they are more ‘intelligent.’ However, as many people know, this is due to the immense amounts of data that companies use to train their AI. Data that often comes from rather… controversial sources.

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“A few months ago, we discussed how many AI systems generating art used works from various artists to train without their consent. This week, it’s been revealed that Meta has done something similar to train its new AI-powered virtual assistant, Meta AI.

As acknowledged by Meta’s Vice President of Global Affairs, Nick Clegg, during the annual Meta Connect conference, the company used posts from Facebook and Instagram users to train its new artificial intelligence. However, the company asserts that private posts and users’ chat messages were not utilized.”

“We have tried to exclude datasets where personal information predominates,” stated Clegg, in statements reported by Reuters, who wanted to make it clear that the “vast majority” of the data used by Meta for training were public.

Moreover, the executive asserts that Meta took measures during this training process to ensure filtering out private details of users from the public datasets used. However, it is unknown what exactly the company considers as ‘public’ or ‘private,’ and whether the AI has been trained on sensitive data.”

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“Meta’s statements come at a time when many major tech companies, such as OpenAI or Google, have been criticized by both users and regulatory bodies for using information extracted from the internet without permission to train their AI systems.”