Pay for Facebook and Instagram? That may seem unthinkable to those of us who use the free apps.
Parent company Meta announced Friday that users in the UK can choose to pay for a Facebook or Instagram subscription if they don’t want to see targeted ads. Going ad-free is still not an option for anyone in the US who is tired of seeing products in their social media feeds.
The UK Information Commissioner’s Office published guidance about ad-free subscriptions earlier this year and said on Friday that it welcomed the change.
“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,” the statement said. “Under Meta’s chosen approach, people will be able to choose between consenting to personalized ads or paying a monthly subscription for an ad-free service — known as a ‘consent or pay’ model.”
A representative for Meta referred CNET to the public announcement.
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A no-ad subscription for a user’s first Meta account, if only used on the web, will cost £3/month (roughly $4). It will cost £4/month ($5.35) for use on iOS and Android. Meta says in its statement that the iOS and Android subscriptions cost more because of fees charged by Apple and Google.
If someone has a second account they’d like to go ad-free, the fee for that account is slightly reduced to £2/month ($2.68) on the web, or £3/month ($4.02) on iOS and Android.
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The Information Commissioner’s Office said it will monitor Meta’s rollout of its changes “to ensure consumers are empowered to make choices and are able to give their consent freely.”
Meta sites don’t display the same advertisements in every user’s feed. The company uses data from individuals to serve personalized ads, claiming it helps people discover relevant products and services and helps businesses reach the most likely customers for what they’re offering.
UK companies will still be able to show personalize ads to those who don’t want to pay for the ad-free version.
Users of Facebook and Instagram in the EU — which has had the option to subscribe and avoid ads since 2023 — are charged more than twice the UK cost if they want the ad-free service. The BBC reports that EU subscriber fees begin at 6 euros (equivalent to £5.23 or $7).