Facebook and Instagram to launch paid ad-free option
Those unwilling to pay will notice no change.
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Scrolling through Facebook and Instagram may soon look different for UK users. Meta, the parent company of both platforms, has confirmed it will begin offering a subscription option that removes adverts — but at a cost.
From the coming weeks, UK users over 18 will be notified that they can either continue using the free, ad-supported version of Facebook and Instagram, or pay for an ad-free experience. The subscription is priced at £2.99 per month on the web, while iOS and Android users will pay £3.99 per month due to additional fees imposed by Apple and Google. Users with multiple accounts will face extra charges of £2 per month on the web or £3 on mobile for each additional account.
Those unwilling to pay will notice no change. Adverts will remain, along with features such as Ad Preferences and Why am I seeing this ad?, which allow users some control over the adverts shown to them. Meta stressed that it does not sell personal data to advertisers.
The decision follows discussions with the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which had called for clearer choices for users about how their data is used in targeted advertising. According to Meta, the subscription model strikes a balance: individuals can either keep using the services for free with ads, or opt out of ads entirely for a monthly fee.
Meta also defended the role of personalised advertising, highlighting its economic impact. The company claims its ad technologies supported £65 billion in economic activity and over 357,000 jobs across the UK in 2024. It added that every £1 spent on ads through its platforms generates, on average, £3.82 in revenue for UK businesses.
While Meta insists that adverts are the most effective way to keep the internet free and personalised, the subscription model represents a significant shift — offering users a genuine choice, albeit one that comes with a price tag.
