Ad-free Facebook and Instagram coming soon to the UK
In the coming weeks, Meta will offer a monthly subscription to users in the UK which will allow them to use Facebook and Instagram without seeing ads.
The subscription will be priced at £2.99/month on the web and £3.99/month for iOS and Android apps. Free access will remain available, and users who do not pay a subscription will continue to see ads as normal.
This ad-free subscription has been implemented following Facebook’s engagement with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and in response to concerns over its collection of UK citizens’ personal information for digital marketing without offering them an opportunity to object to this practice.
The subscription is similar to a paid service offered by Meta in the European Union, where users can pay a monthly subscription to remove most advertisements from their feeds.
“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,” Meta said in a blog post.
“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 said that it welcomed the approach taken by the UK’s ICO as opposed to what it called the ‘overreach’ by EU regulators in requiring Meta to provide a less personalised ads experience that is said creates a worse experience for users.
“We continue to believe in an ad-supported internet, which ensures free access to personalised products and services for all,” Meta said.
“Personalised ads help people discover relevant, new products and services while allowing British businesses to reach the customers most likely to be interested in what they offer.”
When the subscription option becomes available, UK Facebook and Instagram users over the age of 18 will be notified and presented with the choice to subscribe to remove ads from the platforms.
