Beginning next month, users of Facebook and Instagram in the European Union, Switzerland and the European Economic Area will have the option to pay a monthly fee to access those sites without advertising.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, says it will charge €9.99 ($10.60) and €12.99 ($13.78) for web and mobile subscriptions respectively.

It's the latest chapter in a long-running battle between Meta and EU regulators.

Back in May the U.S. social media giant was slapped with a €1.2 billion ($1.27 billion) fine in connection with the transfer of European users' data to the U.S. An Irish privacy watchdog found that Meta's practices "did not address the risks to the fundamental rights and freedoms" of European users.

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Upon announcing details of its new subscription model, Meta said in an online post: "The option for people to purchase a subscription for no ads balances the requirements of European regulators while giving users choice and allowing Meta to continue serving all people in the EU, EEA and Switzerland service."

The introduction of a subscription model is a significant departure for the social media giant that has always provided access to its platforms for free and relied on advertising for revenue.

Addressing that issue, Meta states that "[it] believes in an ad-supported internet, which gives people access to personalized products and services regardless of their economic status. It also allows small businesses to reach potential customers, grow their business and create new markets, driving growth in the European economy."

Meta adds that it remains committed to keeping personal data private and secure, fully complying with its own policies and those of the EU's General Data Protection Regulation.

Improve advertising experience

The social media firm says it will continue to invest in new tools to promote the benefits of personalized advertising.

This new subscription option is only available for people aged 18 and older and in the coming few days Meta is expected to stop displaying ads to minors within EU, the EEA and Switzerland.

There's a degree of legal ambiguity over how businesses can use the data of children and young adults. Meta says it will continue working on how to provide teenagers with an advertising experience that is both useful and responsible.

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