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Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, is launching a paid subscription option in the UK that allows users to access the social media platforms without seeing any advertisements.
The new model, known as “consent or pay,” is being introduced following guidance and scrutiny from the UK’s data watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
UK users will be notified in the coming weeks and offered a choice: continue using the services for free with personalised ads, or subscribe to stop seeing adverts. The starting price for the ad-free experience is £2.99 a month when accessed via a web browser.
The price increases to £3.99 a month for users subscribing through the iOS or Android apps, a difference Meta attributes to covering transaction fees charged by Apple and Google.
This move addresses a key regulatory concern, as the ICO had previously deemed Meta’s practice of targeting users with personalised ads as part of its standard terms and conditions to be non-compliant with UK law.
The regulator welcomed the shift, stating it gives people a “clear choice” over whether their data is used for personalized advertising.
The UK pricing is notably lower than the equivalent service in the European Union, which starts from €5.99 a month. Meta stated that the lower UK price was achieved following engagement with the ICO and is among the lowest subscription prices in the market.
However, unlike EU users, UK subscribers will not have a free option to see “less personalised” adverts, forcing a direct choice between the fully ad-supported model or the paid, ad-free tier. This distinction highlights Meta’s view of the UK as a more “pro-growth and pro-innovation” regulatory environment compared to the EU.
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