In a landmark move that draws a sharp new line in the global battle over digital privacy, Meta Platforms Inc. is set to launch paid, ad-free versions of Facebook and Instagram in the United Kingdom.
The decision marks a major strategic victory for the social media giant, which has found a willing partner in a post-Brexit UK after years of bitter and costly warfare with regulators in the European Union.
The rollout, set to begin in the coming weeks, represents a fundamental shift in the company’s business model, as it navigates a world where the price of privacy is becoming increasingly explicit.
The price of an ad-free feed
For the first time, users in the UK over the age of 18 will be presented with a clear choice: continue using Facebook and Instagram for free with personalized ads, or pay for a cleaner, ad-free experience.
The cost will be £2.99 a month for access on the web, or £3.99 for the iOS and Android apps. Meta noted that the higher price for mobile access is a direct result of the subscription fees levied by Apple and Google in their respective app stores.
A deal in London, a duel with Brussels
This new model has received a warm and crucial welcome from the UK’s privacy watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which hailed the move as a step in the right direction.
“This moves Meta away from targeting users with ads as part of the standard terms and conditions for using its Facebook and Instagram services, which we’ve been clear is not in line with UK law,” a spokesperson for the ICO said on Friday.
This cordial agreement stands in stark contrast to the company’s bitter and ongoing war with regulators in the European Union.
The company released a more expensive version of the subscription model in the EU last year, only to be slapped with a crippling €200 million fine in April after regulators argued it still breached the bloc’s antitrust rules and failed to offer users a “genuine free choice.”
Even after Meta tweaked the system, the European Commission in July demanded further changes, a clear sign that the battle on the continent is far from over.
A calculated rebuke: Meta’s praise for a new path
The successful UK rollout is a clear victory for Meta, and the company did not miss the opportunity to frame it as a vindication of the UK’s post-Brexit regulatory path—and as a sharp rebuke to Brussels.
“This approach and outcome sets the UK apart from the EU, where we have been engaged in similar discussions with regulators,” the company said in a statement.
EU regulators continue to overreach by requiring us to provide a less personalized ads experience that goes beyond what the law requires, creating a worse experience for users and businesses.
The move highlights the diverging regulatory paths of the UK and the EU since Brexit, with the UK appearing to take a more pragmatic, business-friendly approach.
For Meta, which generated 97% of its revenue from advertising last year, securing this beachhead in a major European market is a critical win in a war that is still raging just across the Channel.
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