Facebook Actively Looking Into Ad-Free Subscription-Based Tier

In recent weeks we have heard not just once, but twice, that Facebook could be considering the idea of a paid-version of its service, where users who are willing to pay a monthly subscription fee will not be shown ads. It seemed like comments made in passing, but according to a report from Bloomberg, it seems to be something Facebook is taking seriously.

The report claims that Facebook has been actively doing market research to determine if an ad-free subscription-based tier of its service might be something users could be interested in. The report also adds that this is something Facebook had previously explored, but there is apparent renewed interest in it, although it seems that there are no solid plans yet and that they are simply exploring the idea for now.

The idea of a paid-for Facebook could be an interesting one, and could also address some privacy concerns users might have. As it stands Facebook largely relies on ads for its revenue, and those ads are targeted ads based on user information. By allowing users to pay for Facebook, these users can then opt out of being targeted, or at the very least prevent their information from being shared with advertisers.

However there has been debate on such a feature because it essentially is like saying that those who can’t afford the subscription have no choice but to allow their data to be used by advertisers. In any case there’s no guarantee that an ad-free paid-for Facebook will launch, but what do you guys think? Is this something you might be interested in paying for?

Tyler Lee
Categories: General, Rumors
Tags: Facebook