Meta has announced that it will introduce a subscription option for Facebook and Instagram users in the UK, allowing them to use these platforms without seeing ads. This move comes after recent regulatory guidance from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and follows extensive discussions with the regulator.
UK users over 18 will be notified about the new choice to subscribe for an ad-free experience or continue using Facebook and Instagram for free with personalised ads. The notification can be dismissed initially, giving users time to consider their options before making a decision.
The subscription fee is set at £2.99 per month on the web and £3.99 per month on iOS and Android for the first Meta account. The higher price on mobile devices reflects fees charged by Apple and Google through their purchasing policies. If users add more accounts to their Meta Accounts Center, each additional account will cost £2 per month on the web or £3 per month on iOS and Android.
According to Meta, subscribing means personal data will not be used to show ads across any linked Facebook or Instagram accounts in a user’s Account Center.
Users who choose not to subscribe will continue seeing ads but can still access tools such as Ad Preferences, which allow them to influence what ads they see and manage how their data is used for advertising purposes. Meta emphasized that it does not sell personal data to advertisers.
Meta stated: "We’re making this change in response to recent regulatory guidance from the ICO. It will give people in the UK a clear choice about whether their data is used for personalised advertising, while preserving the free access and value that the ads-supported internet creates for people, businesses and platforms."
The company added: "Subscriptions, as an alternative to seeing personalised advertising, is a well-established and economically viable business model spanning many industries, from news publishing and gaming to music and entertainment. Having discussed with the ICO, Meta will offer Subscription for no ads at a price that is one of the lowest in the market."
Meta also highlighted its ongoing engagement with UK regulators: "We welcome the constructive approach the ICO has taken in our ongoing engagement. This approach and outcome sets the UK apart from the EU, where we have 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."
"In contrast," Meta continued, "the UK’s more pro-growth and pro-innovation regulatory environment allows for a clearer choice for users, while ensuring our personalised advertising tools can continue to be engines of growth and productivity for companies up and down the country." In 2024 alone, Meta reported its advertising technologies contributed £65 billion in economic activity and supported over 357,000 jobs within Britain.
Meta maintains its support of an ad-supported internet model: "We continue to believe in an ad-supported internet, which ensures free access to personalised products and services for all."
The company said: "Personalised ads help people discover relevant, new products and services while allowing British businesses to reach customers most likely interested in what they offer." Studies cited by Meta indicate every pound spent on its platform's advertisements generates an average of £3.82 in revenue for UK businesses choosing digital advertising.
UK advertisers will still be able to run targeted campaigns toward those who opt into receiving free services supported by personalized advertisements.