Subj : Facebook and Instagram will soon let UK users pay to avoid ads, b
To   : All
From : TechnologyDaily
Date : Fri Sep 26 2025 16:45:08

Facebook and Instagram will soon let UK users pay to avoid ads, but this is 
one subscription I wont be signing up for

Date:
Fri, 26 Sep 2025 15:26:36 +0000

Description:
Facebook and Instagram will soon give UK users the option to pay to remove 
ads.

FULL STORY
======================================================================Facebook
 and Instagram will soon offer an ad-free option to UK users It will cost 
2.99 per month, or 3.99 if subscribing on Android or iOS This will be the 
only way to fully avoid targeted ads 

A big change is coming to Facebook and Instagram in the UK, as in the coming 
weeks, users will be given the option to pay a monthly subscription in order 
to avoid adverts. 

The subscription is priced at 2.99 (roughly $4 / AU$6) per month on the web, 
or 3.99 (around $5.50 / AU$8) if you subscribe via iOS or Android (due to 
those platforms taking a cut of the fee), and if you choose to pay then youll 
get an ad-free experience on both platforms. 

Its worth noting that if you have multiple accounts, then the subscription 
will be applied to every account that youve added to Meta Accounts Center, 
but youll automatically be charged a reduced price of 2 (roughly $2.70 / 
AU$4) per month on the web or 3 (around $4 / AU$6) via iOS or Android for 
each additional account. Putting a price on privacy Instagram on an iPad 
(Image credit: Meta) 

As subscriptions go this isnt too pricey, but given that its the only way to 
interact with these platforms without receiving targeted ads it doesnt feel 
ideal. 

Essentially, it means you have to pay for Meta to respect your privacy, since 
while there are some ad toggles on their services to customize what data 
advertisers have access to, you cant completely remove the targeted nature of 
adverts. 

Thats why this change is happening, as the Information Commissioners Office 
(ICO), which is the UKs data watchdog, has concluded that UK users should be 
able to opt out of targeted ads. 

Speaking to The Guardian , a spokesperson for the ICO said 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 weve been 
clear is not in line with UK law. 

Personally, this subscription doesnt appeal to me  partially because I dont 
use these services much anyway, but also because I dont like the idea of 
having to pay to maintain my privacy. Still, its arguably better than not 
even having the choice, as has been the case until now. 

One option that isn't available is a free, middle ground of non-personalized 
ads. This is why Meta hasn't launched a similar offering in the EU, as 
regulators said the simple "binary choice" violates the Digital Markets Act 
(DMA). 

Though its worth noting that even with the subscription, Meta will of course 
still collect your data to personalize its services, it just wont use it to 
serve you ads. So if you dont trust Meta with your data at all then theres a 
simpler, cheaper solution  don't use its apps at all. You might also like 
Metas Facebook Dating gets smarter with AI matchmaking and surprise weekly 
'Meet Cutes' At long last, Instagram finally gets around to launching an 
official iPad app I wore Meta Ray-Ban Display Glasses  they succeed in almost 
every way Google Glass failed and I can't wait to wear them again



======================================================================
Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/computing/facebook/facebook-and-instagram-will-soon-
let-uk-users-pay-to-avoid-ads-but-this-is-one-subscription-i-wont-be-signing-u
p-for


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