Meta is formally redefining what “free” social media means in the UK, introducing a premium subscription tier for Facebook and Instagram that removes all advertising. This decision creates a two-tier system: the traditional, ad-supported free model and a new, paid model for users who want an uninterrupted experience and wish to opt out of the ad-targeting ecosystem.
The premium, ad-free service will be available for £3.99 a month on mobile devices and £2.99 a month on the web. A single subscription will cover both platforms for users with linked accounts, a detail that simplifies the choice for the millions who are active on both. For those who don’t subscribe, nothing will change; they will continue to see personalised ads that fund the free service.
The UK’s data watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), has publicly supported the new model. The ICO stated that offering a paid opt-out moves Meta into better alignment with UK data protection laws, as it gives people a clear choice rather than forcing them to accept ad targeting as a condition of use. This approval follows years of pressure and a specific legal challenge from a UK human rights campaigner that Meta ultimately settled.
This cooperative outcome in the UK is markedly different from the conflict Meta faces in the European Union. In the EU, the subscription model was fined €200m by the European Commission for breaching the Digital Markets Act. EU regulators argue that the choice is unfair and that Meta should instead offer a free version that uses less sensitive personal data, such as broad demographics, for its advertising.
The conflicting verdicts from the UK and EU underscore a growing divide in tech regulation. Legal commentators have pointed out that the UK’s approach is more accommodating to business interests, reflecting a government directive for regulators to prioritise economic growth. This philosophical split means that the rights and choices of a social media user in the UK are now meaningfully different from those of a user just across the Channel.