Ad-free versions of Facebook and Instagram are coming to the UK – for a price
Meta has announced that it is launching a subscription service in the UK that will let users of Facebook and Instagram pay to avoid ads.
The plan has already been rejected by the European Union, but this does not affect post-Brexit UK. Separate subscription tiers are available for the social platforms’ mobile apps and the web. For anyone unwilling or unable to pay, the Facebook and Instagram experience will remain riddled with ads.
The cost of a subscription covers both Instagram and Facebook – it is not possible to have an ad-free experience on only one of the platforms. The monthly fees apply to individual accounts, so anyone with more than one account will have to take out multiple subscriptions. Although additional accounts will be at a reduced rate, but Meta is taking an all or nothing approach. If you pay for one account to have ads removed, you will automatically pay for others.
In terms of pricing, avoiding ads on the web-based version of Facebook and Instagram will cost £2.99 per month. To enjoy the service without ads on iOS and Android users will need to pay more – £3.99 per month.
In a news release, Meta reveals how pricing for multiple accounts will work:
- Regardless of where you purchase, a decision to subscribe to see no ads will apply to all Facebook and Instagram accounts that a person has decided to add to Meta Accounts Center.
- 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 explains the difference in subscription prices by saying:
It is more expensive to subscribe on iOS and Android because of the fees that Apple and Google charge through their respective purchasing policies.
For anyone who doesn’t subscribe, it is business as usual:
Those who choose to use our services for free, will continue to see ads on our platforms and will still be able to use all of the tools and settings that empower people to control their ads experience. These include Ad Preferences, which offers a range of controls that enable people to influence the ads they see, as well as the data used to inform these ads, such as Activity Information from Ad Partners. We also have tools in our products that explain “Why am I seeing this ad?” and how people can manage their ad experience. We do not sell personal data to advertisers.
The new approach comes in response to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) offering “guidance”:
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.
Taking a dig at the EU, Meta says:
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.
Will you be tempted to pay Meta each month in this way? Or do you wish this was an option where you live? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Image credit: MMollaretti / depositphotos