Facebook and Instagram users in the UK will soon be able to access advert-free versions of the platforms for a monthly fee starting at £3.99.
Meta, the parent company led by Mark Zuckerberg, has introduced the subscription in response to regulatory concerns over personalised advertising, which relies on analysing user data to deliver targeted ads.
Under the new plan, web users can enjoy an ad-free experience for £2.99 a month, while mobile users will be charged £3.99. Those with linked Facebook and Instagram accounts will only need to pay a single monthly subscription to remove adverts across both platforms.
“This will give people based in the UK the choice between continuing to use Facebook and Instagram for free with personalised ads, or subscribing to stop seeing ads,” said Meta.
Meta said the service will be rolled out over the coming weeks. Users who do not take up the subscription will still see ads.
The subscription offering is similar to a service offered by Meta in the EU, which has been deemed in breach of the digital markets act – a piece of legislation designed to rein in big tech – by the bloc’s executive arm, the European Commission.
The commission fined Meta €200m this year, stating the company should have launched a free version of its sites that used less detailed personal data, such as gender, age and location, for making targeted ads.
The UK’s data watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), said it welcomed the move.
