Facebook parent company Meta has confirmed plans to launch an ad-free subscription for the UK in the wake of a landmark privacy case. As it stands, Facebook and Instagram are funded by advertising on users' feeds. Social media services rely on data stored on users — like demographics, interests, past interactions — to match adverts from products to users and charge companies to expand the reach of these posts.
For the first time, Facebook and Instagram users will be given the choice to quash these advertisements in favour of a £2.99 per month subscription fee. Meta will send a notification to Facebook and Instagram users in the UK in the coming weeks, offering them a chance to subscribe on iOS or Android.
It costs just £2 to remove adverts from the web version of Facebook. You'll be charged £2.99 per month on iOS and Android automatically for every additional account listed in your Account Centre, so those juggling between multiple Instagram accounts will need to pay multiple times.
The UK is one of the first countries anywhere in the world to test this optional ad-free subscription
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While data gathered on users will still be used to personalise feeds, when someone subscribes, personal data “will not be used to show them ads," Meta stated. Social media users will still be able to choose to see personalised ads and access Facebook and Instagram for free.
It follows guidance from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which said it welcomed the move by Meta.
In March, Meta agreed to stop targeting a UK campaigner with adverts based on her personal data in a legal agreement which avoided a trial in the High Court in London. Human rights campaigner Tanya O’Carroll had filed a lawsuit against Facebook’s collection of personal details.
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The ICO had supported her stance and at the time agreed that Meta was “processing Ms O’Carroll’s personal data for direct marketing purposes”. It added that profiling related to those purposes meant Ms O’Carroll had the “absolute right to object to such processing” under UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rules.
The ICO has since been engaging with Meta on the issue.
Meta said: “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 ad-supported internet creates for people, businesses and platforms.”
It added that its ad-free subscription charges were “at a price that is one of the lowest in the market”.
An ICO spokesperson said: “We welcome Meta’s decision to ask users for consent to use their personal information to target them with ads.
"This moves Meta away from targeting users with ads as part of the standard terms and conditions for using its Facebook and Instagram services, which we’ve been clear is not in line with UK law.
“People must be given meaningful transparency and choice about how their information is used. At the same time, the ICO recognises that online platforms, like every business, need to operate commercially.”
The ICO said Meta’s charges were “close to half that of EU users."
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It will now monitor the rollout of the subscription service to “ensure consumers are empowered to make choices and are able to give their consent freely”.
Meta said those choosing to buy the subscription service will still be able to see posts and messages from businesses, content creators and influencers. It praised the ICO’s “constructive approach” over the issue, which it said “sets the UK apart from the European Union”.
“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,” Meta said.