Meta to offer ad-free Facebook, Instagram to these users with new monthly subscription starting at Rs 354
The subscription plan will begin at £2.99 per month (roughly Rs 354) for users accessing the platforms via the web. Those using the services on Android or iOS devices will face a slightly higher monthly cost of £3.99 (around Rs 472). According to Meta, this extra fee accounts for the service charges imposed by Apple and Google on mobile transactions.
- Sep 27, 2025,
- Updated Sep 27, 2025 1:11 PM IST
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has introduced a new option for users in the United Kingdom to opt out of advertisements on its platforms—though the feature comes at a monthly price. Announced on Thursday, the move will give UK users greater control over how they experience the company’s apps, either by continuing to use them for free with ads or by paying to remove them entirely.
The subscription plan will begin at £2.99 per month (roughly Rs 354) for users accessing the platforms via the web. Those using the services on Android or iOS devices will face a slightly higher monthly cost of £3.99 (around Rs 472). According to Meta, this extra fee accounts for the service charges imposed by Apple and Google on mobile transactions.
Meta clarified that the new subscription is optional. Users above the age of 18 will soon be presented with the choice to either continue receiving personalised ads for free or pay the subscription fee to eliminate them. Once subscribed, the company states that a user’s data will no longer be utilised for personalised advertising, making the experience ad-free.
However, the subscription applies across accounts in a way that may not suit everyone. If you use both Instagram and Facebook, the single £2.99 or £3.99 fee will not cover all your accounts. Instead, the fee applies to your first account, while additional accounts are billed at a reduced rate. Extra accounts on the web will cost £2 per month (roughly Rs 236), and on iOS or Android they will cost £3 (about Rs 354). As an example, someone with a total of five accounts across Facebook and Instagram could end up paying as much as £15.99 per month (around Rs 1,900).
Notifications about the subscription model will begin rolling out in the coming weeks, ensuring users know their choices. For now, the scheme will only apply in the UK.
The decision follows Meta’s earlier rollout of a similar plan in the European Union. In 2023, the company introduced subscriptions in the EU that initially cost €9.99 per month. However, after scrutiny from European regulators under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), Meta reduced the price to €5.99. Regulators also insisted on an additional, free option that used less data for advertising, rather than leaving users with only two choices: ads or a paid ad-free version.
In the UK, though, the approach differs slightly. Unlike EU users, British users will not have the “less personalised” free option; they must either continue with fully personalised ads or pay for an ad-free experience.
The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the national data regulator, has welcomed the development. The ICO noted that the subscription model marks a shift from Meta’s previous practice of making personalised ads a default condition for accessing its platforms. The regulator also confirmed that Meta adjusted its pricing following discussions, ensuring the cost was more in line with expectations.
Meta itself has emphasised that it is working closely with UK authorities to avoid the kind of regulatory pushback it faced in the EU. The company insists the subscription plan aligns with the UK’s regulatory framework, which requires users to be given a clear choice over whether their personal data is leveraged for advertising purposes.
By offering this paid option, Meta is signalling its willingness to adapt to different regulatory environments while also exploring new ways to generate revenue beyond advertising. Whether UK users embrace the subscription or continue with the ad-supported model remains to be seen.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has introduced a new option for users in the United Kingdom to opt out of advertisements on its platforms—though the feature comes at a monthly price. Announced on Thursday, the move will give UK users greater control over how they experience the company’s apps, either by continuing to use them for free with ads or by paying to remove them entirely.
The subscription plan will begin at £2.99 per month (roughly Rs 354) for users accessing the platforms via the web. Those using the services on Android or iOS devices will face a slightly higher monthly cost of £3.99 (around Rs 472). According to Meta, this extra fee accounts for the service charges imposed by Apple and Google on mobile transactions.
Meta clarified that the new subscription is optional. Users above the age of 18 will soon be presented with the choice to either continue receiving personalised ads for free or pay the subscription fee to eliminate them. Once subscribed, the company states that a user’s data will no longer be utilised for personalised advertising, making the experience ad-free.
However, the subscription applies across accounts in a way that may not suit everyone. If you use both Instagram and Facebook, the single £2.99 or £3.99 fee will not cover all your accounts. Instead, the fee applies to your first account, while additional accounts are billed at a reduced rate. Extra accounts on the web will cost £2 per month (roughly Rs 236), and on iOS or Android they will cost £3 (about Rs 354). As an example, someone with a total of five accounts across Facebook and Instagram could end up paying as much as £15.99 per month (around Rs 1,900).
Notifications about the subscription model will begin rolling out in the coming weeks, ensuring users know their choices. For now, the scheme will only apply in the UK.
The decision follows Meta’s earlier rollout of a similar plan in the European Union. In 2023, the company introduced subscriptions in the EU that initially cost €9.99 per month. However, after scrutiny from European regulators under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), Meta reduced the price to €5.99. Regulators also insisted on an additional, free option that used less data for advertising, rather than leaving users with only two choices: ads or a paid ad-free version.
In the UK, though, the approach differs slightly. Unlike EU users, British users will not have the “less personalised” free option; they must either continue with fully personalised ads or pay for an ad-free experience.
The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the national data regulator, has welcomed the development. The ICO noted that the subscription model marks a shift from Meta’s previous practice of making personalised ads a default condition for accessing its platforms. The regulator also confirmed that Meta adjusted its pricing following discussions, ensuring the cost was more in line with expectations.
Meta itself has emphasised that it is working closely with UK authorities to avoid the kind of regulatory pushback it faced in the EU. The company insists the subscription plan aligns with the UK’s regulatory framework, which requires users to be given a clear choice over whether their personal data is leveraged for advertising purposes.
By offering this paid option, Meta is signalling its willingness to adapt to different regulatory environments while also exploring new ways to generate revenue beyond advertising. Whether UK users embrace the subscription or continue with the ad-supported model remains to be seen.