Meta launches Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp subscriptions

Post by blks » Mon, Jun 01, 2026, 4:27 AM UTC

komali2 wrote: post #209

fragmede wrote: post #189

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How's your YouTube Premium subscription?

That was a great deal when it came bundled with YouTube music. When they bizarrely tried to merge the two products so that when I was interested in watching videos, all I got was music video recommendations, it lost its lustre. Now I would rather just pay for a couple Patreons. I heard there's some new pay to use YouTube thing out there that creators are pushing, I can't remember the name but I hopped on it and didn'…

Post by joquarky » Mon, Jun 01, 2026, 4:28 AM UTC

1vuio0pswjnm7 wrote: post #224

sensanaty wrote: post #134

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You paying just signals that you're someone to push more ads to and to harvest more data on, since it means you have disposable income to spend on something as useless as instagram or facebook. Meta isn't going to stop harvesting all your information just because you pay for a subscription, they'll harvest and sell your data AND take your money.

"Meta isn't going to stop harvesting all your information just because you pay for a subscription, they'll harvest [and sell] your data AND take your money." (Meta sells access not data) Google has been doing this for a while with YouTube The data collection and surveillance will of course be used to support online advertising services. The ads can be delivered outside YouTube by other Alphabet business units or part…

Post by xbmcuser » Mon, Jun 01, 2026, 4:31 AM UTC

rtpg wrote: post #249

adjejmxbdjdn wrote: post #220

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> By having material subscription revenue coming in for things outside the advertising space, the product managers can justify investing in features that otherwise would be passed up due to lack of revenue potential from advertising. You’re a Meta decision maker presented with 3 options. Which one do you pick? (remember, you’re not you…you’re a Meta decision maker trying to justify a trillion dollar valuation). - Pos…

to put a finer point on this: I pay for certain newspapers (well, digital subscriptions). Still plenty of ads in the articles!

Post by w-ll » Mon, Jun 01, 2026, 4:34 AM UTC

skillina wrote: post #160

Marsymars wrote: post #141

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The sticky bit I have is facebook marketplace - it's wiped out the other classified marketplaces in my area. I'm not making any serious money off the old stuff I sell, but the alternative to selling it (or even giving away low-value stuff that's still functional) on facebook is basically just throwing it out / destructively recycling it.

I maintain Meta accounts for two purposes. Facebook Marketplace, and following local businesses on Instagram because it's become the de facto platform for many artists/bars/restaurants/popups to distribute information. I don't add friends, I don't "like" posts, and I don't doomscroll the garbage they put in my feed. I'm willing to give Meta the information that I enjoy old cars, bar trivia, and breakfast sandwich pop…

Post by bee_rider » Mon, Jun 01, 2026, 4:36 AM UTC

wyclif wrote: post #161

outime wrote: post #136

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>It's really not as hard as it seems Only on HN could someone post a take like this without getting laughed at. Outside our very geeky HN bubble, hardly anyone (let's say in Europe, but all my friends in the US use it as well) uses anything other than WhatsApp. There's literally zero reason for the average user to switch.

WhatsApp as the only contact point is a pretty strong signal that the user is from a developing world country. I'm not from that part of the world, so I don't use WhatsApp.