Ad-Free Instagram and Facebook Now Possible in the UK… For $4 a Month, Minimum!

Remember when Facebook proudly declared it would be “free and always will be”? Good times. Well, those days are officially behind us – at least for users in the UK who prefer an ad-free scroll. Meta has announced a new subscription plan for Facebook and Instagram, letting you pay to avoid ads.

Subscription or Ads? You Decide

Starting in the coming weeks, users in the UK over the age of 18 will see a new notification pop up. It will offer them two choices: continue using Facebook and Instagram for free (with ads), or pay a monthly fee to remove ads entirely.

That fee? £2.99 per month if you subscribe via the web. But if you’re signing up through the mobile apps on iOS or Android, it’ll cost £3.99 (around $5.3 USD). It’s a markup Meta blames on platform fees from Apple and Google. But there’s more: if you have multiple accounts, each additional account you link will cost £2 extra on the web or £3 more on mobile.

Okay but… Why? Meta says it has introduced the change “in response to recent UK regulatory guidance.” The company writes in a blog post that it’s been working closely with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) to address concerns about user consent and data usage.

Ads or Privacy – But Not Both

Meta’s bottom line is simple: if you don’t want your personal data to be used for personalized advertising, you’ll have to pay. The company claims that subscriptions are a “well-established and economically viable business model” used across industries.

“For those who choose to use our services for free, they will continue to see ads on our platforms and will still be able to control their ads experience,” Meta writes. That includes tools like Ad Preferences and “Why am I seeing this ad?” prompts, which let users manage what kinds of ads they’re shown.

However, if you opt to subscribe, Meta promises that your “personal data will not be used to show [you] ads.”

Meta’s Take on Regulation: UK vs. EU

In the blog post, Meta praised the UK for having a “more pro-growth and pro-innovation regulatory environment,” which it says allows for “more choice for users” and continued support for small businesses that depend on personalized ads.

By contrast, Meta criticized EU regulators for “overreaching” with ad-related demands, claiming their policies result in an experience that is worse for both users and businesses.

In 2024 alone, Meta estimates that its advertising tech supported £65 billion in UK economic activity and over 357,000 jobs. The company clearly wants to protect this ad-driven model.

The Future of the “Free” Internet

Meta says it still believes in an ad-supported internet. “Personalized ads help people discover relevant, new products and services,” the company writes, adding that every pound spent on its ad platforms results in nearly four pounds of revenue for UK businesses.

But this new move shows that the definition of “free” is changing. You’ll still be able to scroll through Facebook and Instagram at no cost – as long as you’re okay with being the product. If not, there’s now a monthly fee for a peace of mind. Although, I wouldn’t be entirely peaceful then, either.

[via PetaPixel]

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