Nov 12 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms ( META ) plans to offer Instagram and

Facebook users in Europe the option to receive "less personalized ads," the tech

giant announced on Tuesday, in an effort to allay regulators' mounting concerns.

The Menlo Park, California-based company said it is implementing these

changes in response to demands from EU regulators.

Over the coming weeks, people in the EU who use the company's social media

platforms for free with ads, will be able to choose to see ads based on what

Meta calls "context"- content that a user sees during a particular session on

the platforms.

These ads will also target users based on age, gender, and location, with

some being unskippable for a few seconds.

Meta also plans to reduce the price of ad-free subscriptions by about 40%

for European users.

This move comes as European regulators intensify efforts to curb Big Tech's

power and level the playing field for smaller firms, including through the

landmark Digital Markets Act (DMA) which came into force earlier this year.

The European Union law aims to make it easier for people to move between

competing online services like social media platforms, internet browsers and app

stores.

Last month, Europe's top court ruled that Meta must restrict the use of

personal data harvested from Facebook for targeted advertising, supporting

privacy activist Max Schrems.

The European Union did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for

comment.

The developments were first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Earlier in November, Reuters reported that Apple ( AAPL ) is set to be fined

by the European Union's antitrust regulators under the bloc's landmark rules

aimed at managing Big Tech's influence, making it the first company to be

sanctioned.