Meta rolls out pay-or-ads model on Facebook and Instagram: Find out if you’re affected

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Meta is rolling out a subscription-based model on Facebook and Instagram that lets users decide between paying for an ad-free experience or continuing to use the platforms with advertising. The move is part of the company’s broader effort to give people more control over how their data is used.

The new model will apply to users in the United Kingdom, where Meta will charge £2.99 per month on the web and £3.99 on iOS and Android apps. Notifications will be sent out in the coming weeks, informing people of their options. The higher price on mobile devices reflects transaction fees imposed by Apple and Google.

Meta previously launched this model in the European Union, where the subscription initially cost €9.99 a month. Following regulatory pressure, the company reduced the price to €5.99. EU users also have the choice of continuing with “less personalised” ads if they do not subscribe. UK users, however, will not have this additional option.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s data watchdog, welcomed the decision, saying it marked a change from Meta’s earlier approach of making personalised advertising a default condition for accessing its services. The regulator also confirmed that Meta lowered its UK pricing after discussions.

The change follows increased scrutiny of Meta’s advertising practices, including a legal challenge by British campaigner Tanya O’Carroll, who argued that Facebook’s targeted advertising fell under UK definitions of direct marketing.

Meta says the pay-or-ads model strikes a balance, allowing those who wish to remove ads to pay a subscription while keeping free access available to others. For now, the rollout covers only the UK and EU, but the company’s approach could shape how ad-supported platforms operate in other regions.