this post was submitted on 27 Jan 2026

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259

Meta's latest subscription move is an attempt to offset its AI bets (appleinsider.com)

submitted 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) by tonytins@pawb.social to c/technology@lemmy.world

79 comments fedilink hide all child comments

On January 26, Meta announced that it was going to test premium subscriptions across its apps. The subscriptions will offer exclusive features and expanded AI tools, while ad-supported versions remain free.

Under the test, users are presented with a clear choice between two paths. People can subscribe to use Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp without ads, or continue using the services for free while agreeing to ongoing data use for advertising purposes.

Meta claims the subscriptions will "unlock productivity, creativity, and AI-powered features," with each app receiving its own set of paid tools rather than a single bundled plan. The company isn't committing to one configuration and plans in order to experiment with different feature sets and pricing models over time.

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[–] MagicShel@lemmy.zip 97 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (3 children)

users are presented with a clear choice between two paths

There is a third path. Just stop being a user. Maybe that choice isn't clear enough. Push notifications are fucking evil. I removed the app and use FB as a PWA about once every six months. I might use it more if it had content from my friends or anyone I gave a fuck about, but instead it's all promotions and suggestions.

Without the little red number creating FOMO on my phone, I have no impulse to check it. Yet I check Lemmy several times a day. I check Bluesky every couple of days. Because every time I open them, someone I want to hear from is posting something I want to see. You should try that, Zuck.

[–] Bishma@discuss.tchncs.de 31 points 5 months ago (4 children)

I haven't touched a facebook product in almost 15 years and my life has been nothing but better for it.

[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 10 points 5 months ago

Shit yeah that's about how long for me. Gods, I remember talking about how cool and futuristic Facebook was back in like 08, but in my defense I was a middle schooler. I rapidly saw it morph into a hub of unpleasantness and bailed.

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[–] officermike@lemmy.world 3 points 5 months ago

Probably 4-6 months ago I finally reached my breaking point. Facebook used to be centered around friends. Sure, most of them are now dormant on the platform, but for those that were still active, they were still buried amongst piles of far-right bullshit that I never asked for and that wouldn't go away no matter how much I clicked "see less like this." I deleted the Android app and logged in via mobile browser. I still occasionally check the happenings in my industry's Facebook groups and my HOA, but Facebook is otherwise dead to me.

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[–] PushButton@lemmy.world 60 points 5 months ago (3 children)

Meta claims the subscriptions will "unlock productivity

Productivity... on Facebook? God they are desperately need to sell you something here.

[–] tonytins@pawb.social 16 points 5 months ago (2 children)

It was literally Zuck's whole pitch for VR.

Meetings! Now in 3D.

[–] PabloSexcrowbar@piefed.social 7 points 5 months ago

I worked there during the whole VR pitch and they tried to encourage those of us with headsets to join meetings with them.

Nobody had legs. It was a huge selling point of the Quest Pro that you could have legs.

[–] Almacca@aussie.zone 4 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

Man, that was so tone-deaf. The dickhead workaholic thought everyone was just like him and only wanted to use it for work.

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 5 points 5 months ago (1 children)

he is an android, robots dont need any sleep.

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[–] bluGill@fedia.io 3 points 5 months ago

If they show me the pictures of my friends, while hiding all the garbage (outrage politics, "you won't believe this"...) so I spend about 2 minutes a day there and get off it would greatly increase productivity. Well it would lower mine because I almost never check facebook anymore - but my life would be enhanced if they limited themselves to the useful things they do and let me go in 2 minutes: a trade off that would be worth it.

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 3 points 5 months ago

facebook is about 90-99% bots, cant get any more productive than that.

[–] eronth@lemmy.world 34 points 5 months ago (1 children)

How long until the premium version also has ads? It's the clear trend at this point.

[–] rainwall@piefed.social 5 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Yup, its predictable. "No ads for money," then "no ads for money and light ads for free" then "no ads for lots of money, light ads for money, unbearbale ads for free" is literally always the model these fuckwits push too now.

[–] cybernihongo@reddthat.com 21 points 5 months ago (1 children)

A premium tier for WhatsApp? The app I want to get rid of but can't because employers can't be assed to send emails or make phone calls first?

[–] baggachipz@sh.itjust.works 14 points 5 months ago (3 children)

What kind of shitass employer would require the use of WhatsApp? Do they make you use TikTok to clock in?

[–] YaksDC@sh.itjust.works 10 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

A huge portion of Europe runs on WhatsApp. And many places use it as their primary communication for customers.

[–] baggachipz@sh.itjust.works 6 points 5 months ago (3 children)

Well I blame them for making a terrible decision there. Europe does a lot of things right, this is not one of them.

[–] YaksDC@sh.itjust.works 3 points 5 months ago

Agreed.

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[–] restingboredface@sh.itjust.works 4 points 5 months ago (2 children)

It's everywhere. Been looking at moving to Latin America (Uruguay or Panama specifically) and many businesses there don't even have/publish regular phone numbers. The tour companies I traveled with said you can't get anything done without whatsapp.

[–] baggachipz@sh.itjust.works 4 points 5 months ago

Man, that would be a showstopper for me. I wish they would wake up

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[–] ok_effect@feddit.dk 19 points 5 months ago (5 children)

Do people still use Meta’s products?

[–] NewNewAugustEast@lemmy.zip 13 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Instagram and WhatsApp... So hard to get people to stop. Particularly where smaller countries and people who travel are, where WhatsApp is the default phone.

So shitty.

[–] ok_effect@feddit.dk 6 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (4 children)

If anyone wants to talk to me, they’ll have to use one of the myriad ways to keep in touch that don’t involve Meta. I refuse to continue to be their product and help them keep the idea alive that they should somehow be unavoidable. Meta relies entirely on the relational networks of people, so I removed my node from their system and made their product a little worse for anybody interested in engaging with me. Life is better without Meta dopamin/rage addiction anyway.

[–] NewNewAugustEast@lemmy.zip 3 points 5 months ago (9 children)

Sure, I won't use anything meta.

But it can be hard like I said. You want to make an appointment with a doctor, an electrician, flower delivery? They want your WhatsApp. You can't make an appointment without it. They can't fill out their billing system. They won't call you on your phone because your number is long distance.

Everyone just expects WhatsApp. Makes it hard.

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[–] Nalivai@lemmy.world 5 points 5 months ago

WhatsApp has this weird grip on my country's people, it's insane.

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[–] UnspecificGravity@piefed.social 16 points 5 months ago

Guarantee that your data still gets used to feed you ads with the "premium" subscription.

[–] 9point6@lemmy.world 16 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (2 children)

I hit this today when I went to check a local restaurant's Instagram for the menu (like many I've come across, they treat Instagram as their website)

Nope. I guess that information is now all gone to me

Between this and Twitter I'm pretty annoyed at how much harder it is to get local information without just physically going to a place compared to 5 years ago. I'm not gonna pretend it used to be perfect, but this is getting spectacularly shitty

[–] Cherry@piefed.social 7 points 5 months ago

This drives me crazy. Hopefully it’s the start of the end for FB.

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[–] realitista@lemmus.org 15 points 5 months ago

Who in the fuck would do this?

[–] panda_abyss@lemmy.ca 9 points 5 months ago

I know I would be more creative if I handed Zuck my money monthly. No doubt about it.

[–] Doomsider@lemmy.world 8 points 5 months ago

Pays us to spy on you!

[–] SeaSgt@lemmy.zip 8 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Why the fuck do ppl still use Meta and its suite of spy apps. Not to mention he has a special set of knee pads when he cups the orange fascist shriveled nut sack.

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[–] EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com 7 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Subscription? For Fascbook? Is this some sort of fucking joke?

[–] Pika@sh.itjust.works 7 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

honestly, with how much my grandfather uses facebook, and how often he clicks the stupid scam ads, this might be a valid option for him that is easier.

This ofc is if they decide to launch this program for <3$ a month. If it's anything more than that I see it flopping on entry.

edit: looking at the article, I'm seeing 4EUR/m... yea 5$ isn't horrible, but at the same time that's probably too high for him to even consider it. That's 2$ less than a yt lite premium subscription, and that's a platform where ads actually get in the way of things.

[–] UnspecificGravity@piefed.social 10 points 5 months ago

I doubt they are actually going to block scams with the subscription service. Probably just block banner ads or some shit but keep the fake posts and such.

[–] tomiant@piefed.social 7 points 5 months ago

Of all the faces I hate most on planet earth, that dildo's is second.

[–] DerdWurst@lemmy.world 6 points 5 months ago (1 children)

These bastards got market place on lock. Luckily with graphene I sand box the tracking apps in another profile(for now). Fucken sucks though. Work/family use what's app as well. We need alternatives, but most people just dont care or think about it.

[–] jjlinux@lemmy.zip 3 points 5 months ago

My family still uses WhatsApp all of them, except my kids (I never allowed them and I have very tight control of their devices). After a few months of not being able to send me memes and shit, they started installing Signal one after the other. Long story short, the family group is now on signal.

[–] W3dd1e@lemmy.zip 5 points 5 months ago

It’s too late. You already spent 20+ years training people to use the shittiest version you could give them.

[–] My_IFAKs___gone@lemmy.world 4 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

~~TheFacebook~~Meta: We Suck and We Know It. Now give us money.

[–] dantel@programming.dev 4 points 5 months ago (2 children)

I've never noticed until now that Zuckerberg looks like a giraffe.

[–] My_IFAKs___gone@lemmy.world 7 points 5 months ago

I can't believe you would insult the noble giraffe species with such an insensitive comment.

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[–] Foofighter@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 5 months ago

So, all the bots are supposed to pay or watch add's? That's insane!

[–] JoeKrogan@lemmy.world 4 points 5 months ago

More signal users incoming

[–] NarrativeBear@lemmy.world 4 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Is this image in the article AI generated or a meta replicant?

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[–] FreddiesLantern@leminal.space 3 points 5 months ago

Keep it up asshole, keep pissing people off.

[–] Almacca@aussie.zone 3 points 5 months ago

Haha. No.

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