BRITS can soon pay a monthly subscription fee to stop seeing ads on Facebook and Instagram.
Tech giant Meta says that you can pay £3.99 inside the iPhone and Android apps to cut out ads completely – but admitted there’s a way to get it discounted.
You’ll be able to cut out ads on both Facebook and Instagram with a single monthly Meta fee[/caption]
Facebook and Instagram are some of the most used apps on the planet. Both apps have more than three billion users around the world.
And of the main ways that Mark Zuckerberg‘s Meta – which owns the apps – makes money is being showing you ads.
But Meta says you’ll now have the option to see a totally ad-free version of both apps if you’re willing to pay for it.
“Over the coming weeks, we will give people in the UK the choice to subscribe to stop seeing ads on Facebook and Instagram,” Meta said.
It continued: “The experience for those who choose to use our services for free will not change.
“They will continue to see ads on our platforms and will still be able to control their ads experience.”
ALL CHANGE
All users aged 18 and over in the UK will be notified that they can subscribe to Facebook and Instagram without ads for a fee.
You’ll be able to dismiss the notification at first, so you get time to consider your options.
But Meta says that eventually a “decision is required”.
The cost if you subscribe through the iOS for iPhone app or Android is £3.99.
But you can get it for £1 less if you sign up on web. Meta says this is because mobile app stores charge additional fees for in-app payments.
“Meta has set the Subscription for no ads cost at £2.99/month on the web or £3.99/month on iOS and Android, for the first Meta account,” Meta explained.
“It is more expensive to subscribe on iOS and Android because of the fees that Apple and Google charge through their respective purchasing policies.”
If you do decide to buy the subscription on the web, your decision around ads will apply to all of your Facebook and Instagram accounts in your Meta Accounts Centre.
Your ads decision will apply to any Facebook and Instagram profiles tied to your Meta account[/caption]
But this could see you paying even more.
“A reduced, additional fee of £2/month on the web or £3/month on iOS and Android will automatically apply for each additional account listed in a user’s Account Center,” Meta explained.
If you do pay to subscribe, your personal data will no longer be used to show you ads.
META’S MOVE
Meta said that it was making the change after guidance from the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
META HITS OUT AT EU
Meta says the move was inspired by guidance from UK regulators – and blasted the EU in a statement…
Here’s the statement in full…
“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 ads-supported internet creates for people, businesses and platforms.
“Subscriptions, as an alternative to seeing personalised advertising, is a well-established and economically viable business model spanning many industries, from news publishing and gaming to music and entertainment.
“Having discussed with the ICO, Meta will offer Subscription for no ads at a price that is one of the lowest in the market.
“We welcome the constructive approach the ICO has taken in our ongoing engagement.
“This approach and outcome sets the UK apart from the EU, where we have been engaged in similar discussions with regulators.
“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.
“In contrast, the UK’s more pro-growth and pro-innovation regulatory environment allows for a clearer choice for users, while ensuring our personalised advertising tools can continue to be engines of growth and productivity for companies up and down the country.
“In 2024 alone, Meta’s advertising technologies were linked to £65 billion in economic activity and over 357,000 jobs in the UK. “
Picture Credit: Meta
The Californian tech giant said it was aiming to give Brits “a clear choice” about whether their data is being used for ads or not.
Meta already offers subscriptions for Facebook and Instagram in the EU, which costs €5.99 (~£5.24) on the web and €7.99 (~£6.99) on iOS and Android.
That was reduced late last year from the original 2023 pricing of €9.99 and €12.99 respectively.
Meta doesn’t currently offer an ad-free subscription option in the US.
Meta already gives you the option to explore why you’re seeing a specific ad[/caption]
Of course, Meta isn’t the first company to charge users to avoid ads.
It’s very common among TV streaming giants, with Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video all offering more expensive ad-free tiers.
In the UK, you have to pay an extra £2.99 a month on top of your Amazon Prime membership to remove ads on Prime Video.
IN CONTROL
If you choose not to pay for Meta’s new ad-free tier, you’ll still see ads as usual.
HOW DOES FACEBOOK DECIDE WHICH ADS TO SHOW YOU?
Here’s the official list from Facebook…
- Your activity on Facebook (such as liking a Page or clicking on ads you see). If you have linked your Facebook and Instagram accounts, your activity on Instagram may also affect your ads on Facebook.
- Content that you create or interact with across Facebook and Instagram.
- Other information about you from your Facebook account (e.g. your age, your gender, your location and the devices you use to access Facebook).
- Information that advertisers, their partners and our marketing partners share with us that they already have, such as your email address.
Picture Credit: Meta
And you’ll still have the option to control how your ads are personalised.
There’s an area of Facebook and Instagram settings called Ad Preferences.
These let you influence the ads that you see, and even take a look at the data on you that’s being used to inform these ads.
You can see some of that in the Activity Information from Ad Partners section.
Also, if you click on the settings for an ad, you get the option to choose ‘Why am I seeing this ad?”, which will explain why Facebook has shown you a specific advertisement.
Meta also noted that it doesn’t sell your personal data to advertisers.
The advertisers pay Meta to reach a specific group, which Facebook and Instagram then deliver based on info about you – like your age, location, and interests.
This latest news comes just one week after the big Meta Connect 2025 event at the company’s headquarters in California.
Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg showed off his first consumer-ready Meta smart glasses with a built-in display.
And The Sun’s tech editor Sean Keach has already tried out the new Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses before their release to the public.
The hi-tech specs let you follow map directions, send WhatsApp texts, and even watch Instagram Reels on floating apps right in front of your eyes.
They release in the US on September 30 for $799, and are expected to arrive in the UK in “early 2026”.
