London, 26 September 2025 — Social media giant Meta has announced the launch of ad-free subscriptions for Facebook and Instagram users in the UK, offering people the option to avoid advertisements for a monthly fee.
The service, rolling out in the coming weeks, will cost £2.99 per month on the web and £3.99 via smartphone purchases. Users who choose not to subscribe will continue to access the platforms for free but must agree to see adverts.
Meta confirmed that all users aged 18 and above in the UK will soon receive notifications about the new option. The company also stated that subscribers’ personal information will not be used for advertising purposes.
The move follows years of legal disputes and regulatory scrutiny over Meta’s handling of personal data. Earlier this year, the company settled a case brought by British campaigner Tanya O’Carroll, who argued that Meta’s targeted advertising breached consumer rights. As part of the settlement, Meta agreed to stop using her personal data.
Meta has previously experimented with paid features, such as its £9.99 “verified” subscription service launched in 2023. The new tier, however, is seen as a direct response to ongoing privacy concerns and regulatory pressure in Europe.
In a blog post, Meta said the changes would “give people in the UK a clear choice about whether their data is used for personalised advertising.”
The company’s ad-targeting practices have long been controversial. In the United States, Meta reached a 2022 settlement with regulators after its tools for housing ads were found to discriminate based on race, religion, and gender. It has also faced criticism from women who received sensitive adverts about pregnancy and motherhood after miscarriages or stillbirths.
The new UK subscriptions were introduced after consultations with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which Meta described as “constructive.” However, the company criticised European regulators, accusing them of “overreach” in their approach to digital advertising.
Meta has offered similar ad-free subscriptions in Europe since 2023, priced at €5.99 on the web and €7.99 on smartphones. The European Union fined the company €200 million (£174 million) earlier this year, ruling that its “consent or pay” model violated digital law by not offering a sufficient free-to-use alternative.
Meta said: “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.”
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