Facebook does not charge you money to create an account or use the platform
Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger are all free to read and use. You will not receive a bill or be asked for a credit card to post, message, or scroll. Meta, the company that owns Facebook, makes its money by selling advertising space — not by charging users.
However, "free" does not mean there is no cost to you. When you use Facebook without paying money, you are paying with your attention and your data. Facebook collects information about what you click, what you search for, where you are, what device you use, and what you buy elsewhere online. Advertisers pay Meta to show you ads based on that information. Understanding this trade-off helps you decide what information you are comfortable sharing.
Key Takeaways
- Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger cost nothing to use, and Meta does not charge monthly or annual fees for standard accounts.
- Meta makes money by selling advertisers access to your attention and data about your interests, location, and online behavior.
- You can use Facebook with limited data collection by adjusting privacy settings, but you cannot use the platform without sharing some information.
- Facebook offers a paid subscription called Meta Verified that removes some ads and adds a verification badge, but it is optional and not required to use the platform.
- Your data is the product Facebook sells; understanding what information you share helps you make informed choices about your privacy.
How Facebook collects and uses your information
When you sign up for Facebook, you provide your name, email or phone number, date of birth, and location. As you use the platform, Facebook tracks much more: every post you like, every person you message, every link you click, every video you watch, and how long you spend on each one. This tracking happens even when you are not actively using Facebook — the platform follows your activity on other websites through a tool called the Facebook Pixel, a piece of code that many websites install to monitor visitor behavior.
Facebook also collects information from your device: your phone's location, the apps you have installed, your contacts, and your browsing history if you have given the app permission to access those things. All of this data goes into a profile about you that Facebook uses to predict what ads you are most likely to click on. The more detailed your profile, the more valuable you are to advertisers, and the more money Facebook makes.
What Meta Verified is and whether you need it
In 2023, Meta introduced Meta Verified, a paid subscription that costs $11.99 per month on the web or $14.99 per month on iPhone and Android. This subscription gives you a blue verification badge next to your name, priority customer support, and reduced ads in your feed. It does not give you more privacy or stop Facebook from collecting your data — it straightforward removes some of the ads you see and marks your account as verified.
Meta Verified is entirely optional. You do not need it to use Facebook, post, message, or do anything else on the platform. It is designed for people who want their account to stand out or who find the ads annoying enough to pay to reduce them. Most people do not use it, and most people do not need it.
Where your data goes and who sees it
The information Facebook collects about you is shared with advertisers in the form of targeting categories, not as a file with your name on it. An advertiser might request to show ads to "women aged 25 to 34 in Portland who have looked at running shoes in the past month," and Facebook will show your ad to people who match that description. The advertiser does not learn your name or personal details — they only know the ad reached people like you.
However, Facebook also shares data with other companies in other ways. If you use Facebook Login to sign into another website or app, that service receives information about you. If you use Facebook's business tools, like the pixel or the conversion API, Facebook shares data with the business running those tools. And if you are in the European Union, you have the right to read all the data Facebook holds about you — a file that is often surprisingly large and detailed.
How to reduce the data Facebook collects about you
You cannot stop Facebook from collecting data entirely — the platform requires some information to function. But you can reduce how much it collects by changing your privacy settings. Go to Settings & Privacy, then Settings, then Apps and Websites. Here you can see which apps and websites have access to your Facebook data and remove access to the ones you do not use. You can also turn off location tracking by going to Settings, then Location, and selecting "Don't Allow."
In the Ads section of Settings, you can see the categories Facebook has created about you — things like your interests, your life events, and your shopping habits. You cannot delete these categories, but you can remove individual interests by clicking the X next to them. This does not stop Facebook from collecting data, but it does change what ads you see. You can also limit ad targeting by going to Ad Preferences and choosing "See Fewer Ads Like This" on ads that appear in your feed.
Another option is to use a browser extension like Privacy Badger or uBlock Origin, which blocks the Facebook Pixel from tracking you on other websites. This does not affect what Facebook collects when you are on Facebook itself, but it stops the platform from following you around the rest of the internet.
What happens if you delete your Facebook account
If you no longer want to use Facebook, you can deactivate or delete your account. Deactivation is temporary — your profile, photos, and messages disappear from the platform, but Facebook keeps your data and can reactivate your account if you log back in. Deletion is permanent. After 30 days, your account and most of your data are removed, though Facebook may keep some information for legal or operational reasons.
Deleting your account does not remove data Facebook has already shared with advertisers or other companies. It also does not remove photos or messages that other people have saved or shared. But it does stop Facebook from collecting new data about you going forward.
Understanding the real cost of free platforms
Facebook is free because you are not the customer — advertisers are. You are the product being sold. This is not a secret, but it is straightforward to forget when you are scrolling through your feed. The trade-off is straightforward: in exchange for a place to connect with friends and family, you give Facebook permission to collect detailed information about your interests, your location, your relationships, and your behavior, and you agree to see ads based on that information.
Whether this trade-off is worth it depends on your own comfort level. Some people decide the value of staying connected to friends and family outweighs the privacy cost. Others decide the data collection is too invasive and choose not to use the platform. There is no right answer — only the answer that makes sense for your own situation and your own risk tolerance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Facebook sell my personal information directly to advertisers?
No. Facebook does not sell your name, email, or phone number to advertisers. Instead, it sells access to groups of people who match certain descriptions — like "men aged 30 to 40 interested in fitness." Advertisers show ads to those groups without learning who you are individually.
Can I use Facebook without giving it permission to track me on other websites?
You can limit tracking by turning off location services and removing access to apps and websites in your settings. You can also use a browser extension to block the Facebook Pixel. However, Facebook still collects data about what you do on Facebook itself, and you cannot use the platform without sharing some information.
Is Meta Verified worth the cost?
That depends on whether you want a verification badge and whether the reduction in ads is worth $12 to $15 per month to you. It does not change your privacy or stop data collection. Most people use Facebook without it.
What data does Facebook keep after I delete my account?
Facebook deletes most of your profile, photos, and messages within 30 days. However, it may keep some information for legal reasons, and data it has already shared with other companies or advertisers is not removed. Messages you sent to other people may still exist in their inboxes.
Why does Facebook show me ads for things I just talked about?
Facebook collects data about your interests, your location, your device, and your online behavior. It uses this information to predict what ads you are likely to click on. If you see ads related to something you recently discussed, it is usually because Facebook has inferred your interest based on your activity, not because it is listening to your microphone.