Meta is offering a no-ads subscription for Facebook and Instagram users in the UK.
The tech giant said that over the coming weeks it will give UK users the choice to stop seeing ads across the social media platforms, with subscriptions offered at £2.99/month on the web or £3.99/month on iOS and Android.
Meta said the higher fee for iOS and Android subscriptions is because of the fees that Apple and Google charge through their respective purchasing policies.
The move follows recent regulatory guidance from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) which focuses on how companies such as Meta must handle personal data for advertising purposes.
The ICO says that companies cannot force users to accept personalised advertising as a condition of using their services and that consent must be a genuine choice, not coercive or binding.
In the guidance, the ICO assessed models where users must consent to the use of their data for advertising purposes or pay for an ad-free experience, warning that such models must meet strict legal standards to be valid under the UK’s GDPR.
“The UK’s more pro-growth and pro-innovation regulatory environment will mean more choice for users, continued free access to Facebook and Instagram for those who prefer that option, and ongoing support for businesses who rely on our personalised advertising tools as an engine of growth and productivity,” Meta said in a statement.
Over the next few weeks, UK users over the age of 18 will receive a notification informing them of the option the subscription service.
The notification can be ignored initially, allowing existing users to evaluate the available options before a final decision is made.
Meta has stated that the experience of those who choose to use the services for free will not change and that they will continue to see adverts.
These users will still have access to settings that allow them to control their advertising experience, such as Ad Preferences, a tool that gives users more choice on the type of ads they see.
“Our social media services are personalised, but when someone subscribes, their personal data will not be used to show them ads,” Meta said.
Meta said the overall adopted approach “sets the UK apart from the EU,” where the tech giant has been engaged in similar discussions with regulators.
“EU regulators continue to overreach by requiring us to provide a less personalised ads experience that goes beyond what the law requires, creating a worse experience for users and businesses,” it said.
In 2024 alone, Meta’s advertising technologies were linked to £65 billion in economic activity and over 357,000 jobs in the UK.
