Meta is about to start charging some users who want to scroll Facebook and Instagram without being bombarded with ads.
In the coming weeks, people from the UK will get a pop-up offering the option to pay £2.99 a month on web or £3.99 a month on iOS and Android. The subscription will cover all accounts linked to the same Meta Accounts Center.
The move marks a huge U-turn for CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who famously told Congress in 2018: “There will always be a version of Facebook that is free.”
Why The Sudden Change?
Meta says the fees are down to new rules brought in by the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
Regulators now require companies like Meta to give users “meaningful transparency and choice” about how their personal data is used.
For anyone who signs up, that means no personalised adverts in their feed.
Those who stick to the free version won’t escape ads completely, but they’ll still be able to tweak what they see through the Ads Preferences settings.
What Meta Says
In a statement, the company explained:
“It will give people in the UK a clear choice about whether their data is used for personalised advertising.”
All UK users over 18 will soon be asked whether they want to pay up or stick with the free, ad-supported option.
So, Facebook isn’t going fully pay-to-play — but for the first time, you’ll have to fork out if you want the endless scroll without targeted ads.
Featured image credit: Anthony Quintano / Solen Feyissa
