Facebook to Research Ad-Free Subscription-Based Version

They would presumably still harvest user data, it would just be less obvious.

The real power of Facebook is the trove of user data that they obtain through the freemium where the "user is the product". It will be really interesting to see the subscription price and how many users will end up actually paying for the service and to what extent a subscribed user's data collection is stopped is yet to be seen.

I'd bet that as soon as a potential paid version leads to greater benefits than aesthetics, people will be up in arms against whatever treatment free users won't get.

Facebook would poison their free tier and stale their remaining ad audience.

... and I wish I could see how this would work, because I hate ads so much I can't use the current Facebook app at all.

This would be lovely - it will take a long time to regain people's trust (knowing the current Facebook they'd still stalk you even if you pay), but if it happens then it will be awesome.

Yes please.

like i'd trust that to happen properly